Heart Shaped Stitches: Elsa
by Lialane Graest
Summary: Marie and Stein have come a long way since they were rescued, including finally having a child. Follow Elsa and James Spirit and Azusa's child as they grow and eventually enter the DWMA. Sequel to Heart Shaped Stitches and In a Time of Need. Now with less angst!
1. Threats and Promises

Stein helped Marie into a sitting position, making sure that her legs were spread and open for the birth.

"Now, you're sure that you want to do this here, Marie? You're sure that you don't want to go to the hospital?" Stein asked one final time.

"For the love of Death, yes!" Marie said through gritted teeth. "I'm getting tired of explaining it; I'm married to a doctor!"

Stein chuckled, and then prepared the epidural. "I'm going to numb the entrance site, Marie. It may hurt a little."

"It can't hurt any worse than this is right now!"

Stein couldn't lie; at this point the more sadistic side of him was enjoying this. She had asked for this in a way. He chuckled as he cleaned the site and then anesthetized it. He carefully started the epidural and her gasp in relief as the medication started to kick in.

"Better?" He asked.

"Yes." He could see the sweat on her forehead as she grabbed her stomach. "Another one!" She exclaimed as another contraction hit her.

Stein knelt down in front of her, and looked up. "You're coming along quickly, Marie; you're already well dilated, about five centimeters. I need you to relax and take deep breaths. Don't push yet."

Marie arched her back as another contraction hit. "Thank Death that you know what you're doing. I've heard some horror stories from Azusa about how… nghn… painful contractions can be." She said, panting.

Stein stood and walked over to take her hand in his. "I promised you that I would take care of you, Marie."

"How long?" She panted.

"Not long, Marie. You're dilating much quicker than I had anticipated."

An hour later Stein announced that she needed to start pushing. "I need you to push Marie; when you feel the contraction, push." Marie just nodded, sweat covering her face.

It felt like an eternity before Marie felt an immense weight drop out of her and she pushed one last time to get rid of the afterbirth. She collapsed back onto the table, looking up at the stitched ceiling and sighed in relief before she realized that she didn't hear anything.

"Franken?!" She cried out in alarm even as he moved around to place the bundle in her arms. Looking down she was shocked to see their daughter, her gold eyes open and staring at her and Stein. "She's not crying…" She said wonderingly.

"Some children don't when they're born, Marie." Stein leaned down over her shoulder and held out a finger to their daughter._ 'We finally have a daughter.' _He thought. He watched as the child… Elsa… actually followed his finger with her eyes before reaching out towards it. Marie smiled, content.

"You should feed her, Marie. It's good for both of you." Stein said.

"You just want to watch!" She said laughing.

"I can leave." He said, deadpan.

Marie just shook her head and proceeded to feed their daughter, and Stein smirked. He did want to watch.

* * *

The first two weeks of her life, Elsa Marie Stein was quiet, just making the little cooing sound that happy babies are so well known for. She threw her first temper tantrum when she was thirteen days old, much to the amusement of her parents.

Marie had come into the lab with her and Stein had taken her to hold for a moment as he worked at his computer. When he went to hand her back to Marie, Elsa started screaming as if she were being burned. Nothing Marie could do would calm her. Wonder in her eyes, Marie handed Elsa back to Stein and watched as she immediately quit crying.

"Looks like you get to watch her for a while!" Marie said with a laugh as she left the lab.

"Well, Elsa, look what you have done!" Stein chuckled, looking down at the infant in his arms. "I hope for your mother's sake that you're not going to be a daddy's girl.

If only he had known how true that statement was, he may never have said yet.

* * *

Elsa advanced quickly, walking and talking earlier than any other child in her age group. She was reading at eighteen months, and reading at a third grade level by the time she was three. She was a very bright, very inquisitive girl, but above all else, she was her father's daughter.

She spent as much time as she could with him, and when they sent her to kindergarten at the age of four she threw a fit.

"I don't want to!" Elsa cried out, her silver pigtails flying around her face as she shook her head. "They're all strangers!"

"Honey, you have to meet new people." Marie comforted her.

"I don't want to be away from you and daddy!" Tears fell down her cheeks and landed on her blue dress.

"Your mother is right, Elsa. You need to go so that you can make friends." Stein said, picking his daughter up and carried her out the door and to the waiting car. "I'll let you help me tonight if you behave while at school."

Elsa stopped crying immediately. "You promise, daddy?" She asked seriously.

"I promise, Elsa."

"Then I'll behave." She said matter-of-factly.

"That's my good girl." Stein smiled and ruffled her hair.

Once they arrived at the school, Elsa exited the car and walked with her mother and father to the classroom. She tugged on her father's lab coat, and he bent down to her. "Daddy, they're all so big." She whispered in his ear.

Elsa was right, the other students in the class were all about a year older than her, and were larger than his small daughter. Bending down he picked her up and put her on his shoulders. "Now you're the tall one, Elsa. Just remember the way this looks and you'll always be bigger than they are." Marie laughed from beside him.

"Now, Elsa, you're going to stay here while daddy and I go to work. Can you do that for us?" Marie asked smiling.

"If daddy wants me to." Elsa said quietly. "Because if I'm good I'll get help him tonight." Marie just shook her head and laughed, giving Elsa a hug.

"I do want you to, Elsa." Stein said, hugging her quickly. "And try to make a friend or two, ok?"

"Ok, daddy."

* * *

Marie and Stein arrived to pick Elsa up from her first day of school four hours later. Elsa was not happy.

"What's wrong, Elsa?" Marie asked quietly.

"They're all stupid. I don't want be their friend." She said, spitefully.

"Elsa, that's not nice!" Marie said sternly.

"Daddy knows it's true."

"Elsa, that's not a nice thing to say about people." Stein repeated Marie's words as they drove down the road to the laboratory.

"Hmph." Elsa looked out the window, kicking her feet against the seat. "I don't want go back."

"You're forgetting your prepositions again, Elsa." Marie said.

"Prep-po-si-tion." Elsa sounded out the word.

"I don't want to go back." Stein answered.

"To." Elsa repeated.

"But you will."

"No!" Elsa wailed. "They're all stupid. They can't even read! They think 1+1=cookie!" She was crying full out.

"Then you'll have to teach them better than that, won't you, Elsa?" Marie asked, smiling.

"I have to?" She said quietly. "That's teacher's job."

"Do I have to? and: That's the teacher's job." Stein said.

Elsa repeated the sentences, and then something obviously clicked. "I was good today, Daddy! I didn't tell them they were stupid. Can I help you?"

"That's up to your mother, Elsa."

"Mother may I?" Elsa said sweetly, and smiled at her mother.

Marie couldn't say no. When they got home, Elsa followed her father into the lab while Marie started dinner.

* * *

"Daddy, how did you get the scar on your face?" Elsa asked for the hundredth time.

"I'll tell you when you're older, Elsa."

"What about the screw in your head. Can I have one?"

"Your mother would kill us both if I did, Elsa." Stein said, laughing. _'And that's the complete truth.'_ He thought to himself.

"What are you doing today, daddy?"

"We're going to grade tests, Elsa."

"Grading test is boring. Why not take something apart like last time?"

"You weren't supposed to see that and you know it, Elsa." Stein shook his head trying to forget how Elsa's face had looked when she had snuck into the lab and saw him dissecting a small cat to re-familiarize himself with it before having his DWMA students dissect a similar one in class the next day.

"I want to again though." She said thoughtfully. "It's insides were… pretty." She finished with a smile, her head tilted to the side.

"Do not let your mother hear you saying that!" Stein laughed. _'I'm going to have to tell Marie, though. If Elsa starts to turn out more like me we're going to have a problem… We're going to have to watch her carefully.'_

"Are you sure you want to help since its boring, Elsa?" He asked, sitting her on his knee.

"Yep! I make the smiley face!"

"I will make." He corrected her, smiling.

"I will make." She repeated.

They sat grading papers the whole night, Elsa making the smiley faces on the ones that he gave her; she never knew that she was putting smiley faces on the poor grades.

And he never knew that she had finally seen where he hid the scalpels.

* * *

Elsa snuck into Stein's lab after she heard her parents' door shut for the night. It took a bit of effort to climb up and get the lab door open, but she eventually managed it. It was even more effort to get the rolly chair her dad sat in moved underneath the cabinet where she had seen the glint of metal, but she did, and finally climbed up to look at her prize through the glass door.

'_They're so shiny and pretty!' _Elsa thought, _'I'll get to see the pretty insides again with them!' _She fairly giggled as she reached out and her hand hit glass.

The glass perplexed her. She didn't understand how there was an invisible wall in front of what she wanted. It took her a long while, but she finally remembered seeing her daddy get past the wall by pulling the knob that was on the side. Three minutes later she had managed to figure the knob out, and was holding a single, shiny scalpel.

Elsa hopped down, and started looking for the cat her daddy had had a long time ago, but she couldn't find it. Sitting down she almost gave up when inspiration hit.

* * *

Stein and Marie both woke up to the scream. It continued and continued, a child's scream of pain and fear. The two of them were running towards it, looking at each other when they realized it was coming from the lab.

They came through the open door and Stein immediately noted the open cabinet.

Marie's scream added to Elsa's when they found her, hunkered in the corner, a large but shallow gash extending from her collarbone to her navel. Elsa had her arms crossed in front of it and was screaming, tears flowing down her cheeks, blood pooling around her.

"Don't be mad, Daddy!" Elsa wailed, tears streaming down her face.

"Stein, do something!" Marie was panicking

Stein reacted, bending over and picking his daughter up and laying her on one of the operating tables. "Marie, get me a mask for her. I'm going to have to knock her out. I can't stitch the wound with her awake."

"I don't want sleep!" Elsa screamed out.

"You have to, sweetie." Marie said, her voice obviously holding back tears desperately.

"No no no no no!" Elsa screamed.

Stein placed the mask over her face as she screamed out, and Marie gently smoothed her hair. Elsa was unconscious shortly thereafter, and Stein was cleaning and sterilizing everything as quickly as he could.

"Explain." Marie said as he started stitching the wound on Elsa's chest up.

"She cut herself, Marie." He said, focusing on the stitching.

"What would have made her think to do that?" Stein could feel the anger radiating from her.

"Marie, she is my daughter too." He said quietly. "Nothing made me do it the first time except pure curiosity."

Marie looked down at the silver haired girl on the table between them. "She's going to be ok?" She whispered.

"I promise, Marie." Marie couldn't keep the tears from falling, and turned her back as her husband stitched their only daughter's chest back together.

* * *

Elsa fingered the healing stitches and looked at them in the mirror in her room. _'All that, and I still didn't see the pretty insides.' _She thought to herself sadly.

There was a knock on the door and then her father walked in.

"Elsa, I need to have a discussion with you. It's about what you did."

"Daddy, don't be mad…" She trailed off, already whimpering.

"Elsa, I am." He said bluntly. "What you did was wrong. You went some place you knew you weren't supposed to. You took something that didn't belong to you, and then you did something incredibly dangerous."

Stein knelt down in front of his daughter and put his hand on her shoulders. "Listen to me, Elsa. You can never do that again."

Elsa lowered her face and muttered something that Stein couldn't hear. "What was that?" He asked quietly.

"I just wanted to see the pretty insides." She looked up at him and he could see it, flashing in the depths of her eyes, twinging her small soul. Madness. She grinned, tilting her head to the side just like Marie. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I'll be good and won't do it again."

"Thank you, Elsa." He gave her a hug before leaving the room.

'_She certainly is my daughter.'_ He thought as he left. _'I can't let Marie find out why she did what she did. I have to keep her out of the lab, as well. It would devastate Marie if anything were to happen to Elsa… and myself as well."_

Elsa sat down on the edge of the bed, her four year old mind thinking about how to get around the promise. _'You can't break a promise.' _She thought solemnly. _'But what if it wasn't his toys I used? Then he couldn't get mad because I wasn't taking something that wasn't mine or going where I wasn't supposed to!'_ She giggled and couldn't stop, falling onto her back on the bed and rolling around.

Stein heard her as she burst into laughter. The sound chilled his very soul.

* * *

Elsa returned to school two weeks later, wearing a happy smile and resolved to do her best to be good for daddy, and mother too, she guessed.

"Welcome back, Elsa!" Her teacher greeted her when her parents dropped her off that morning. "Ready to learn something today?"

"Are you ready?" Elsa muttered under her breath, so used to having her own sentences corrected that the fragment the teacher used bothered her.

"What did you say, Elsa?" Her teacher smiled down at her.

"I'm happy to be back." Elsa smiled happily.

Elsa spent the entire day trying to ignore the children around her, even more disgusted now than she was her first day, and she kept fingering the stitches on her chest. The only time she actually interacted with them was at recess.

* * *

"Hey, Elsa!" A voice called over the noise of the other children.

Elsa looked up to see a brown haired boy walking over to her. He was a good four inches taller than her and maybe 20 pounds heavier.

"Can I help you with something?" She remembered hearing her father say that once.

"You think you're too smart to do things like the rest of us do, don't you?" He asked, right in her face. "You think you're so smart that you don't even have to come to school for two weeks, don't you?"

"I got hurt, I couldn't come." She said, backing up. He got right up in her face again.

"Yeah, if you got hurt that bad you'd be dead. I don't believe you."

"I don't care." Her voice held the hint of anger.

"Yeah, well, smarty pants don't think you're too good to talk to us anymore." He shoved her backwards, hitting her square in the chest.

Elsa cried out in pain, the stitches protesting the sudden movement.

"You're just a little weakling." He shoved her again as she stood up. "You think that just because your dad's a meister and your mom's a death scythe you're better than all of us, don't you?"

Elsa stood up. "I don't think I am, I know I am." She said simply. Blood was showing through the white shirt she was wearing, and a small crowd had gathered around them.

The boy swung, his fist connecting with her jaw, knocking her flat on her back. A dark haired boy with glasses darted out of the crowd to help Elsa to her feet. "Come on Matt, leave her alone." He said quietly.

"I don't need your help, James." Elsa said, pulling her arm out of the dark haired boy's grasp. Turning to face Matt she looked him up and down. "If you touch me again, I'll tell my daddy, and he'll come cut you into little parts and sew you back together wrong." The four year old's tone dripped with malice, sounding much older than she was.

Unfortunately, the teacher arrived at that time. Both Elsa and Matt were sent to the principal's office, their teacher sitting in between them.

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs. Stein, I need to talk to you about what happened on the playground this afternoon." The principal started. "It seems that one of our other students, Matthew Bishop, was bullying your daughter. It seems that he shoved her twice and then punched her. She made no move to fight back, a fact that I applaud. However, she did threaten the boy."

"How so?" Marie asked.

"She threatened that if he touched her again she would tell her father, and then that you, Mr. Stein, would cut the child into small pieces and sew him back together wrong."

Marie's face contorted in horror and she looked down at their daughter. "Elsa, did you really say that?"

Elsa fidgeted, rubbing her feet together.

"Answer your mother." Stein said quietly.

"I said little parts…" Elsa's voice was small.

"Elsa! You owe that boy an apology!" Marie exclaimed.

"It's more than that, Mrs. Stein." The school principal looked quite sad. "That's considered a death threat. Matthew's parents are quite upset about it and I'm afraid that at this point, my only recourse is to expel your daughter. If I don't, there's a very good possibility that the entire school district will come under fire, and perhaps have a lawsuit filed against us. His parents have only agreed not to if your child is removed from the school. I am sorry; Elsa seems like a bright young girl."

Elsa smiled. "I don't have to come back then?"

"That's not something to be proud of Elsa." Stein said, disapproval in his voice. Elsa's face fell.

"I'm sorry, daddy…"

"Don't apologize to me, apologize right now to the principal for interrupting his day because you can't think about what you're saying. Then you'll be writing an apology to that boy and his parents." Stein looked up. "There is one thing, Principal Moore. The child that was bullying my daughter, what will be done to him? Surely his part in this is not being simply overlooked."

Elsa apologized meekly while the Principal hesitated.

Stein's eyes were hidden by the glare of the sun on his glasses, and one hand itched to reach up and crank the screw in his head, but he restrained himself.

"Matthew Bishop is being dealt with. He's been transferred to a new class, away from his friends, and won't be eating on the same lunch schedule or have the same recess schedule as his original group anymore."

"At least it's something, Franken." Marie said quietly, still looking down at their daughter. _'She's so much like Franken now… I don't know how we're going to be able to handle it if she starts wanting to dissect things like her father…'_

"Is that all?" Stein asked, standing up.

"Um, yes Mr. Stein. Although I should also inform you that when you enroll her in another school and they call me to ask about her expulsion, I am legally obligated to tell them why. It's not her fault though, and I'll make sure they know that."

"Principal Moore, it is Elsa's fault. She willingly chose to say what she did, and she will live with the consequences." The light glinted off his glasses again, hiding his eyes. "Come on, Elsa. It's time to go home."

"Thank you, Principal Moore." Marie said as they left.

* * *

**A/N: Read the aftermath in the next chapter. I hope that you've enjoyed your introduction to Elsa Marie Stein- and that you picked up on the Easter egg I left the readers of In a Time of Need. Also, there's a little poll on my profile connected to this that I'll run until I reveal the results in story.  
**

**To those of you just reading this, this is a sequel to Heart Shaped Stitches, and I suggest that you read that before/during this. Thanks, Love you all!**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	2. Nursey Rhymes are Morbid

"Elsa, we have to have a talk." Stein said when they arrived home. "What you did was unacceptable."

Elsa sniffled, kicking her feet absentmindedly under the kitchen table, both her parents standing over her. "But I didn't hit him..."

"What you did was just as bad, Elsa." Marie said. "You can't threaten to do that to people."

"But he hit me!" Elsa wrapped her arms around her re-stitched chest.

"And that still doesn't give you any right to threaten him, Elsa." Marie said.

"It wasn't a threat, it was a promise! Daddy won't let anyone hurt me!" She wailed.

Stein looked over at Marie. "Elsa, you can't tell people that I'm going to cut them up and sew them back together. I won't do that, it's wrong. No one should ever do that." Marie could tell that it took a lot for Stein to say that; the only thing that he loved more than dissection was her and Elsa.

"But you cut that kitty open and sewed it back up!" Elsa said, obviously very confused.

"You did what?" Marie's tone was dripping with acid. "Elsa, go to your room."

Elsa hopped down from the chair and skipped up to her room, correctly assuming that she was no longer in trouble.

"Nothing but pure curiosity, Franken? She SAW you dissecting something? How could you have let her see something like that? She's only four years old! Now I know why she tried to cut her chest open! Because you made a promise you broke!" She lashed out, slapping him as hard as she could.

"Marie, please. I promised I wouldn't dissect anything unnecessary. Our EAT class was going to dissect a cat the next day. I needed to re-familiarize myself with it. I waited until Elsa had gone to bed; I didn't know that she was awake." He explained, ignoring the ache from the slap.

Marie looked like she was going to argue with him, or strike him again, but she only covered her mouth with her hand and started to sob. He moved to her and pulled her against his chest, letting her. "It's going to be alright, Marie. We'll keep her out of the lab, and I'll lock the door at night and while I'm working. There won't be any more incidents. Our little girl will be alright."

* * *

A week later Marie and Stein had decided to home school Elsa for the rest of her kindergarten year. If things went the way that they thought they would, they were going to try to enroll her in a higher grade once she graduated. Marie was thinking of this as she did her chores, proud of how fast their little girl was learning. She went upstairs to do some cleaning when she heard Elsa singing. Marie smiled, absorbed by the happiness in her daughter's innocent voice. She hummed along herself while she gathered the dirty clothes from her and Franken's room. Then she stopped, having heard a snippet of what Elsa was actually singing.

**"**_**Three blind mice,  
three blind mice;  
see how they run,  
see how they run.**_

_**They all ran after the doctor's wife.  
who looked all around for a carving knife,  
finding none she called with a holler  
for her husband's scalpel.**_

_**Three blind mice,  
three blind mice;  
see how they run,  
see how they run.**_

_**They all run away now from his knife,  
squeaking desperately for their life;  
never before did you see such a sight,  
as three blind mice."**_

The basket fell from Marie's shocked hands. She left it where they lay, almost running to the lab.

"Franken!" She burst in, breathing hard.

"Marie? What's wrong?" He asked looking up from his computer.

"Just come and listen, Franken!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the computer and his work. She pulled him all the way to the top of stairs and stopped just shy of Elsa's open door. Elsa was still singing her version of _Three Blind Mice_, breaking into giggles occasionally. Stein listened until she started to repeat the song, and then to Marie's surprise stepped into Elsa's room.

He watched her until she noticed him standing there, his eyes focused on her small soul, watching the swirl of madness around it. "Daddy!" She literally jumped for joy and rushed over to hug his leg, her play completely forgotten.

"What were you singing, Elsa?" He asked as he picked her up, tousling her hair.

"Three Blind Mice!" She crowed out, giggling.

"Where'd you learn it at?" He asked, dipping her backwards, her giggles growing.

"They taught it to us at school!" She giggled, and added, "But I made it better!"

"I could hear that, Elsa." Stein actually did agree, he preferred her version... but it was a little too morbid for comfort. "Why don't you sing the other version though? Since you can't go back to that school anymore, it'd be nice to have to something to remember it by, right?"

He could see her considering his request. "Mother doesn't like it does she?" She whispered quietly in his ear.

Stein sat her down. "I'm asking, not your mother, Elsa."

She looked straight at him. "Alright, Daddy. I will for you." As he walked out of her room, Elsa began singing another nursery rhyme.

"_**Lord Death sat on a wall,  
Lord Death had a great fall;  
all his death scythes gathered around,  
and my daddy only frowned..."**_

Marie looked up at him as he came out. "Franken?"

"I don't think there's anything we're going to be able to do, Marie, it is only a song. We'll watch her though." He gave her a small smile. "This isn't so bad when you think of what else it could be." He said soothingly.

Marie just nodded, scooping up the forgotten clothing and leaving to go do the laundry.

Stein stood there for a while, listening as his daughter sang her own versions of a dozen different nursery rhymes. He rather liked her additions, but he would never tell Marie that. The only one that bothered him was when she sang "Ring Around the Rosie."

She couldn't keep from breaking down and giggling. She didn't change a thing, either.

* * *

Elsa smiled as she walked into her new classroom. She was younger than everyone in it by almost two years, but she didn't care. Daddy had said that she would be fine, and she believed him. She sat quietly as the teacher called role, answering "Here!" When her name was called. She recognized only one of the names called, but she was happy to hear it.

"Hi, James!" She giggled when they were released for recess. "Why did you have to change schools?" She asked, scuffing her shoes together.

"Hey, Elsa. I don't know, mom and dad just said that I was going to come here instead of the old one. You're in my class?" James pushed some of his black hair out of his eye and then wiped his glasses on the corner of his shirt.

"Yep!" She skipped around him, while James pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"Well, why don't we go and try to make some friends, Elsa? We're both new here, better to stick together." He held his hand out to the five year old.

Elsa hesitated, but only for a second. She took his hand and followed him onto the playground.

* * *

"How was your first day back to school, sweetheart?" Marie asked when they picked Elsa up that afternoon.

"It was great! You'll never guess who's in my class!" Elsa babbled. Marie and Stein shared a knowing look. "It's James! And he forgave me like you said he would, daddy. He didn't even remember me being mean when he tried to help me when Matt hit me. He just laughed it off."

"Did you two make any new friends, then?" Marie asked.

Elsa babbled on and on about what she had done at school that day, obviously having enjoyed it.

"What did you learn today, Elsa?" Stein asked.

"Did you know that a triangle has three sides?!" She said it as if it were a ground shaking discovery. Marie couldn't help but laugh and even Stein smirked.

"That's amazing, Elsa." He said. "I didn't even know that."

Elsa's face grew serious for a moment. "Don't lie, Daddy. You know everything. I bet even mother knew that." Then she dissolved back to her giggly self, going on about how a circle didn't have any sides.

Marie looked over at Stein, concern in her face. He carefully reached over to touch her hand before putting his hands back on the steering wheel.

* * *

"So how did James like his first day, Azusa?" Marie asked over the phone after they had put Elsa to bed.

"He said that he enjoyed it. Though, he did say that he had Elsa tagging along with him nearly the entire day; apparently they were inseparable." Azusa laughed. "I think he's taking after his father early, Marie! You'll have to watch him and Elsa when they get older!" Marie could hear Spirit's laugh in the background.

"Let's hope not, Azusa! I think Stein'd dissect the poor boy!" Both women burst into laughter. Stein just raised an eyebrow and retreated to the lab.

"Do you have any idea if she's a weapon or a meister yet, Marie?" Azusa asked, hesitation in her tone.

"Not yet, Azusa. Why do you... you know what James is!" Marie exclaimed.

"Yeah, we found out two nights ago." Marie could hear the pride in Azusa's voice.

"Well, tell me!"

Spirit's voice crowed over top of Azusa's. "He's a weapon, Marie!"

Marie giggled. "That was pretty much a given in, right? What type of weapon though?"

Marie could feel Azusa's joy, it was infectious. "You know what an Apache Revolver is, Marie?"

"Isn't that the gun that's got a collapsible blade and duster on it?"

"It is." Spirit's voice overrode Azusa's again as he yelled out, "He managed to take his full weapon form! It's very close to that!"

Azusa hushed Spirit, and it was obvious that she went to a room where he wasn't.

"That's awesome news, Azusa. Thanks, by the way." Marie said. "I know it couldn't have been easy for you to convince Spirit to transfer James from his old school to Elsa's new one. I really appreciate you doing that."

"You know how men are, Marie. He didn't care as long as I was the one doing the paperwork, he said it was too early for James to have really gotten to know anyone anyway. Besides, in Spirit's own words, 'This way Stein'll owe me a favor this time!'" Both women broke down laughing. "Anyway, it's better for the two of them to make friends young, just in case she does wind up being a meister."

"You know as well as I do that there's no guarantee that she will be, Azusa. And even if she is, there's no guarantee that she'll be compatible with James' wavelength." Marie laid back on the bed. "Though, I have to admit, it would be nice if our children could get along that well."

"Yeah, it would be. Besides, whether she's a weapon or a meister, her father's the most powerful meister to have ever graduated and her mother's a death scythe; there's no way she won't be spectacular." The two women talked for some time after that, before Azusa yawned and had said that she had to go to sleep. Marie looked at the clock and smiled, replying that she needed to as well.

* * *

Azusa awoke the next morning, and went to get James ready for school. Spirit had already left, so she started by packing James' lunch.

"James! You need to be dressed by now!" She called over her shoulder, slipping his sandwich into his lunch box. That was when she heard the muffled crying coming from his room. "James?"

She opened his room to find it still dark. The crying was louder and she flipped on the light. She didn't see James anywhere, but she could hear the crying coming from under his bed.

"James, come out from under the bed." She said, kneeling down.

"I... can't..." He hiccuped between his sobs. Azusa sighed and reached her hand underneath the bed, grabbing for his arm. She jerked back as if she had been burned when she felt metal. Shaking her head, she carefully wriggled as much of herself as she could under the bed, looking at her son.

James was stuck, half-transformed, just his torso and above appearing from the blade on the gun.

"It's alright, James." She held her hand out to him. "Let's get you out from under there and we'll get you back to normal." James took it, clinging to his mother once she had him pulled out.

"Alright, James. Listen to me, I want you to focus on how you should look. Remember when you transformed all the way and what that felt like? That's what you're going to do now. All you have to do is fight the fear and focus, alright?"

James stopped crying, trying desperately to understand what she wanted him to do. After a few minutes he managed it, transforming into his human form.

"See?" Azusa said gently. "That's all there is to it." She held her son, feeling the anxiety and tension drain out of him. "Now, let's get ready for school.

* * *

Elsa fidgeted. _'I already know this... why is the teacher teaching it? I want to learn something new... not this boring stuff...' _She sighed.

"Elsa, are you paying attention?" Her teacher asked.

"_Good girls don't lie." _Her father's voice reminded her.

"No." She replied truthfully. James looked over at her.

"And why not, Elsa?" Her teacher was obviously annoyed.

"Because I already know what you're trying to teach..." Elsa said, trailing off.

"Well, Ms. Elsa, if you understand what we're doing so well, would you mind coming up here and showing the class?" Her teacher held the chalk out to her.

Elsa paled, but stood up and walked to the front of the classroom, taking the chalk from her teacher's hand. "Alright, Elsa. You're going to answer these math equations." The teacher picked up another piece of chalk and carefully wrote out the equations.

1+2=

2+4=

3+6=

4+8=

The teacher smirked as she added the last one to the board:

3x2=

Elsa looked at all of them, adding them in her mind, then wrote the correct answer on the board. Blinking at the last problem she thought for a couple of seconds then wrote: =6 after it. She looked up expectantly at the teacher.

"...Very good, Elsa." The class snickered as she walked back to her seat. "It's time for recess. Everyone, please go on outside. Elsa, can you come here for a second?"

Elsa looked at James, anxious of being left alone, but nodded and went to talk to the teacher.

* * *

James waited outside the door for Elsa. Looking up at the ceiling he sighed, thinking to himself. _'I don't know why I'm not outside playing. It's not like Elsa's my sister or anything, I barely know her.' _Shaking his head, he took a deep breath and let it out. About that time, Elsa came out of the classroom, crying.

"Elsa, are you ok?" He asked, touching her shoulder.

He was unprepared for her to fling her small body against his chest and start sobbing uncontrollably. He was even more surprised to hear her whisper, _"I'm going to take her apart piece by piece for being mean to me."_ He did the only thing he could think to do, he hugged her and tried to calm her down.

_"Should I tell my mom and dad what I heard her say?" _He wondered to himself.

* * *

**A/N: I hope that you're enjoying the second chapter. To all of you have PM'd me, followed/favorited this or myself, THANK YOU. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to log in and find reviews and PM's waiting on me. Eivexst-san, Boob tube, Warwulf and Greekhuntress, thank you especially for the reviews. I appreciate them!**

**I'll start on the next chapter now that I've finished this one, no promises on how quickly it'll be up though, maybe tonight, if not then tomorrow.**

**Also, there's poll on my profile page if anyone would want to participate. Cast your vote on what you think that Elsa will be! Love you all!**

**One last thing, read some of the nursery rhymes that you grew up with and see if they don't give you chills now. I especially love Ring around the Rosie, take a minute to look that one up!  
**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	3. Hide and Seek

"Listen to me, James; are you absolutely certain that that is what Elsa said? That that is exactly what she said." Spirit knelt in front of James, hands on his shoulders." You have to be certain."

"I am, dad." His son said, standing straight up. "I heard her; she was right in front of me when she said it."

"Alright, James." Spirit gave him a hug. "You did the right thing telling me. Thank you, that was very responsible of you. Why don't you go ahead and run off to bed now, school's going to start early in the morning."

James went off to bed, trying to sort out why he had told on Elsa. _'I had to.'_ He thought to himself_. 'If I didn't she might do something stupid... I don't want to see her get herself hurt...'_ James didn't understand why he felt what he did for her. He didn't even understand that what he was feeling was protective. He just knew that he was. It was like she was his little sister.

Spirit walked into the living room and picked up the phone, dialing Stein and Marie.

"Marie, could I speak with Stein?" He asked, not wanting to talk directly to Marie about this. He knew that Stein would understand, be able to help his daughter.

"Senpai? What is it?" Stein's voice seemed frazzled, like he had interrupted him working on something important.

"Sorry to bother you, Stein, but James came home to tell me about something that happened today and I think that you and Marie need to know."

"Senpai?" Spirit knew that tone; Stein had just blocked out all other distractions to listen to whatever it was that he had to say.

"James said that Elsa had a bit of a problem in class, not paying attention to the teacher because, as she put it, she already knew what the teacher was teaching. When the teacher called her on it and had her come in front of the class to answer the questions on the board, Elsa did, and got them all correct. The problem came when the teacher dismissed the class for recess and kept Elsa behind. James didn't know what the teacher said, but he did know that Elsa was in tears because of it." Spirit took a deep breath. "Apparently while she was crying, James heard her say that she'd take the teacher apart piece by piece for being mean to her."

Spirit listened to the sharp intake of breath before continuing. "I'm sorry, Stein, but I knew that you and Marie would want to know."

"Thank you, Senpai." Spirit paled at the tone in Stein's voice. He almost felt sorry for Elsa, because there was anger in Stein's voice like he hadn't heard in a very long time. Well masked, but there. *click*

Spirit looked down at the phone, and then hung his end of it up_. 'I hope Stein can find a way to help Elsa... they can't afford her being as unstable as he was when he was younger...'_ Spirit went to bed, crawling in beside Azusa and wrapped his arms around her, drifting off into troubled dreams of his and Stein's past.

* * *

"Marie." Stein reached out to touch his wife's shoulder, shaking her gently. "Marie, I have something important to tell you." She didn't wake, just rolled onto her side. Ever so gently Stein surged the barest amount of his wavelength through her, smirking as she shocked to her feet.

"Franken! What have I told you about doing that?!" She exclaimed.

"Marie, it's important. I need to talk to you about what Spirit just told me." He sat down on the bed.

"James overheard Elsa say that she was going to take the teacher apart piece by piece, because she had been mean to her."

"Are you serious?" Marie asked quietly; he could feel the fear emanating from her.

"Did Elsa say anything to you about school today? Anything at all, Marie?" He asked.

"Not a word, she didn't mention anything new, just repeated stuff from yesterday." She answered, sinking down onto the bed. "She went to bed early, though. About 7:30."

Stein looked up at his wife. "Are you sure she's in bed?" She met his gaze and both of them got up and walked to Elsa's room. Stein knew before they opened the door. There was no soul wavelength in the room. Elsa was gone.

Stein shook his head, afraid of where he was going to find his daughter, but knowing nonetheless. The madness, stirred by the anger that he felt, tried pushing to the surface, but it was easily kept at bay as he focused on finding his daughter. He caught her soul's wavelength in a far corner of his lab.

_'The door was locked, how did she get in?_' He wondered to himself. Leading Marie he stopped at his daughter's side, his expression going dark when he caught the glint of metal in her hands. She held the keys to the lab in her small hands, a content look on her face as she slept. Stein saw the glint of blood before Marie and moved to obscure it.

"How did she get the keys, Franken?" Marie asked, bending down to pick up their daughter, Stein carefully obscuring what he had seen.

"I don't know, Marie, but we're going to have to do more than talk to her." He looked at the sleeping girl in Marie's arms.

"I know... but I don't know what to do." Marie smiled sadly. "She's your daughter more than mine, she takes after you so much."

Marie left the question unasked and left. Stein heard it though. _"What did your parents try when they found out? What can we do differently?"_

* * *

Stein looked down at what he had hidden from Marie, and cursed. Sitting in a pool of blood was one of his scalpels. Beside the scalpel lay the decimated body of a mouse, its insides strewn about like party streamers. The cuts were sloppy; Stein could tell that she had made them while it was alive and conscious. He fought back the chuckle as he thought how it must have squeaked while she was cutting through its flesh.

Shaking himself free from the madness he quickly cleaned up the mess, wondering how his daughter had managed to avoid getting any blood on herself, which was when he saw one of his old lab coats balled up in the corner, covered in blood, and a pair of his gloves. _'So that's what she did… she bundled up in my coat to keep the blood from getting on her; it must have been quite difficult with her smaller frame. It's a wonder that she was able to even use the scalpel with the gloves on.'_

With the mess cleaned he sat down in his chair and held his head in his hands, turning the screw. _"What did my parents do? Everything they could think of. Punishment, rewards, therapy, starvation.'_ He twisted the screw again when he remembered their last plea. _'Abandoning me with only enough money to get myself to Death City, my enrollment in the DWMA already secured, my mother telling me it was for my own good, the fear in her eyes and soul plainly evident. I was too much for them to handle… they were afraid of me… my father wanted to kill me; every other word was to tell me I was a freak and no son of his.'_

In one violent motion he stood and swept the papers from his desk. _'I will not have my daughter raised to think that she is a freak!' _Breathing heavily he collapsed into his chair, rage swirling through his soul, crackling in the air around him.

Marie stood in the doorway to the lab, watching Stein's outburst. She desperately wanted to go to him, to comfort him, but fear kept her where she was. _'I must have missed something. Elsa must have done something more than just take his keys for him to be that worked up over it…'_

The laughter brought her back to herself, and she looked up to see Stein cackling, bent nearly double backwards, his eyes rolled up in his head. She hadn't seen him have an attack in so long that this one paralyzed her in fear. As she watched, Stein stood and walked further into the lab, obviously having never seen her. Hesitantly she followed him, moving slowly to keep him from noticing her.

How easily she forgot that he could sense her soul. That he knew she was there from the beginning, but her husband was gone for the time being. The man aware of her didn't care if she was there or not. All he cared about was finding the correct tool to weight Elsa's brain with once he removed it.

Marie called out softly, reaching her hand out to him. "Franken? Franken, come back to me."

The scientist stopped in his search to peer over his shoulder at her, smirking. "Do you want to be weighed too?" He whispered, turning to face her, one long finger tapping against her temple. "I have another appointment first, but after, yes, after. I'll weigh it then. We'll see how long it takes them to notice I've removed it too. But first, I have to weigh the other."

Marie stood still, Stein far too close for comfort. _'Since when have I had to be afraid of him?' _Marie reached out to place her palm on Stein's chest and felt her wavelength flow into him. Stein blinked, looking down at her as if just seeing her.

"Marie?" He asked.

She collapsed against him, barely holding her tears in. "Did I hurt you, Marie?" He asked quietly, loosely holding her while trying to recall his last memory, one hand moving to turn the screw in his head.

"No." She whispered, bursting into tears. "Franken… what are we going to do about Elsa? I know there's something you didn't tell me."

'_I will not have my daughter raised to think that she is a freak!' _Stein's last memory slid into place with a clank of the screw. "Marie, there is because I was trying to protect you."

"What is it, Franken?" She looked up at him.

"She didn't just take my keys. Elsa took a scalpel. She dissected a mouse, Marie." He took her shoulders gently in his hands. "Elsa did it while the mouse was conscious, then fell asleep right beside it, a content smile on her face."

"What do we do?" Marie whispered. He could see it in her soul. She was afraid.

Stein tilted her face up and what he said shocked her. "We do the one thing my parents never did. We let her."

Marie stepped away from him, terror in her eyes. "Listen to what you're suggesting, Franken! You're suggesting that we allow her to cut things open! What happens when mice aren't enough? What then?"

"We'll be here to support her, Marie. She won't lose herself; she won't have to feel like she has to hide who she is just so she can exist in normal society." Marie could hear the emotions that Stein would never admit to in his voice. "We give her a chance at being happy, and being able to walk the line with the madness that I never got. She's not just my daughter, Marie. She's yours too. She's stronger for that."

Marie felt like she was crazy when she nodded mutely. _'Damnit, he's right. A controlled way of letting her release the madness is better than unsupervised fits and bursts…'_

* * *

"Elsa?" Stein called from outside her room the next day after school.

"Daddy!" Childish joy was the only thing in her voice as she darted out of the room and grabbed his legs.

He knelt down beside her and looked up at Marie. She just gave a jerky nod, tears in her eyes. "Elsa, we have something for you. You have to promise me something though. You will never ever use this if I am not with you, and you will never ever tell any of your friends about it. If you break your promise, I will take it back and you will never be allowed to help me again. Do you understand?"

Elsa's eyes grew wide. "It must be super special!" She giggled out.

"Elsa, do you understand?"

"I understand daddy!" She grinned and tilted her head to her side again, reminding him of Marie. "I promise, daddy!"

"Now, promise your mother."

Elsa looked a little confused. "I promise, mother." She said sweetly.

Stein pulled the small package from behind his back. Elsa's eyes grew wide as she looked at the shiny piece of metal inside the box. It was half the size of one of Stein's, and as such had taken him a while to find. She reverently touched it, trailing just her left index finger along the handle. "Is… is it mine, daddy?" She asked.

"You promised, remember? But it doesn't stay in your room, it stays with mine, and you only get it when I'm with you. Understand?" He smiled at her.

"I understand!" Elsa flung her arms around her father's neck, her promise about the teacher completely forgotten in the face of the promise that she had just made to her father.

Marie sighed, feeling a tear trickle down her cheek as she looked at her daughter, happier than she'd ever seen her because her father had just given her a scalpel. Not a doll or a puppy. A scalpel, something specifically designed to cut flesh. She turned and walked away, Stein watching her worriedly.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for reading, sorry this chapter is shorter than the other ones, not feeling too well :( I'll try and get a longer chapter out for all of you tomorrow.**

**Homework! Give me what you believe will come of the scalpel- is it a good or bad idea? Thanks for all the reviews, I love you all!**

**I don't own Soul Eater- but Elsa is all mine, you can't has her /rawr!**


	4. She's Stronger For That

Elsa fidgeted in front of the door to her father's lab. Today was the day that he was going to let her help him, and she was nervous. She didn't know what they were going to take apart, but he had said he would let her see the pretty insides again.

Stein sat in his chair, his back to the door, a kitten on the table in front of him, still very much alive and conscious. _'Marie would never approve of this… but Elsa loves cats. Maybe if I use it to allow her to help me it will shock her away from the "pretty insides" as she calls them.'_ He ran his hand through his hair and turned the screw. _'I can only hope this works.' _He could feel his daughter's nervous wavelength right outside the door.

Elsa hesitated for the third time before finally knocking on the door. Stein felt the smirk grow on his face and firmly squashed it. He stood, leaving the kitten on the desk, and went to unlock the door and let Elsa come in.

"Alright, Elsa. You're going to help me today, right?" He asked, tousling her silver hair.

"I am!" She crowed.

"Well, first things first- meet Mr. Mittens. He's going to be your subject today." Elsa's eyes went wide at the sight of the kitten on the desk, mewling pitifully.

"D-Daddy?" She asked hesitantly. "We're going to take the kitty apart?"

"Just like last time, Elsa."

"B-but…" She backed away. "He's so cute!"

"If you don't want to, you don't have to, Elsa." Stein said, petting the kitty which proceeded to rub against his hand and purr. "If you don't, though, you won't be taking anything else apart with me. I'm sure Mr. Mittens would appreciate that though."

Tears streamed down the five year olds cheeks. She grabbed the sides of her dress in her clenched fists and Stein barely made out what she said when she lowered her head to look at the ground.

"_I'm sorry, Mr. Mittens… but I really want to take you apart."_

* * *

Stein disposed of the cat properly. He shook his head, disappointed but unsurprised that the plan hadn't worked. Elsa had calmed considerably once the cat was sedated. She thought that the cat would wake up when they were done; Stein, never one to sugar coat, made sure to let her know that if she took it apart, that Mr. Mittens would never wake up- that he would be dead.

"_That's why we can't do this to people, isn't it daddy? It's because no one wants to sleep forever dead?"_ _She had asked._

"_Yes, Elsa, that's why. Because we don't want to kill anyone." He had replied._

"_Not even that mean teacher." She had flashed a smile at him. "So I won't!" She said with all the conviction of a five year old._

"_Never, Elsa. You never will."_

"_I promise, Daddy." She had said solemnly, smiling at him as she carefully followed the line he had drawn on the now shaved kitten's stomach._

Stein took a deep drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke into the air, watching as it formed a skull before dissipating.

"Franken?" Marie's voice came to him through the lab door. Standing he took another drag on the cigarette and moved to open the door for her. "Did… did she?" He could feel it radiating from her; her fear was a tangible feeling.

"She did, Marie; don't worry. I remember the first time I dissected something. I lost myself completely in it. She didn't. She was just herself. This is apparently a part of her. It could be worse, Marie." He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

Marie wrinkled her nose at the smell of the smoke that clung to him and sighed. "Why do you have to be right about everything? And how often are you two going to have to take something apart? It's… disturbing." Stein's chuckle rumbled against her cheek.

"You could join us, Marie. It would be a bonding experience for the entire family." She pulled away from him, earning another chuckle and a smirk.

"No. Thank. You." She said, turning to leave the lab, Stein's laughter following her from the lab.

* * *

"Azusa?" Marie's voice was thick with tears.

"Marie? What's wrong? It's 2am." Azusa's voice was thick with sleep.

"Can you meet me somewhere? That diner near the lab that's open 24 hours a day?" Marie almost broke down sobbing asking.

Azusa looked over at Spirit beside her. "Marie… I'll be right there." Sliding out of bed without waking him, Azusa checked in on James, and then grabbed the keys and left.

* * *

"What's wrong Marie?" Azusa said, sliding into the booth across from the blonde death scythe.

"We made a mistake, Franken and I. We gave Elsa a scalpel. Franken thought it was a good idea. I was hoping that he was right, that by giving it to her and letting her do it once that she would realize how terrible it was to end something's life like that. They dissected something tonight, Azusa. I didn't ask what. She enjoyed it. Franken tried to tell me that it was a good thing, that she hadn't lost herself like he did when he did his first dissection, but Azusa, I think that this was a horrible idea. I can't go back on the decision now. Azusa, what do I do?! I can't have my little girl growing up cutting things open!" The tears rolled down Marie's face as she buried her face in her arms.

The waitress walked over at that time and Azusa just said, "Bring us some coffee, two pieces of whatever pie you have, and the biggest bowl of chocolate ice cream you have." The waitress looked down at Marie and, assuming that she'd broke up with someone, just nodded and walked off.

"Marie, you trust Stein. If you didn't you would never have agreed to his plan in the first place. Besides, shouldn't he know better than anyone how to help your daughter? He knows everything about what she's going through, and he knows how she thinks. Elsa's in good hands, you're just worrying over much. Besides, she's your daughter too. She's stronger for that." Azusa smiled.

'"_She's stronger for that." Franken told me that same thing earlier.' _Marie looked up at Azusa. "Do you really think so, Azusa?"

"I know so, Marie! Now, the waitress has brought us some pie, chocolate ice cream and coffee. What do you say about making this a girl's night out? You've always enjoyed that. Besides, I'm sure that you have nothing to worry about, Stein knows exactly what he's doing!" The smile on Azusa's face was forced, but Marie didn't notice, she was already drowning her sorrows in pie and ice cream.

* * *

Azusa didn't get home until nearly 5am. She found Spirit, bleary eyed, half asleep in front of the couch.

"I thought that you got mad at me for leaving without telling you." He said quietly, standing to move to her.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said.

Spirit wrapped his arms around her, yawning as he did so. "So what was so important that you had to leave without even telling me? You worried the hell out of me, Azusa."

"Marie needed to talk, and didn't want to do it over the phone." She said, leaning her head against his shoulder, feeling the lack of sleep.

"She and Stein fighting?"

"Not really. She was just worried about Elsa. She's fine now." Azusa let her weight lay against Spirit. Even half asleep he still seemed like the one immovable piece of her life. She sighed against his chest.

In one move she was in his arms, her purse falling from her hand in surprise. Giggling she pushed away from him. "Now, now, Azusa. We need to get to bed, and from the way you were leaning against me I don't think that you'd make it to the bedroom without some help." She looked up at him, and to her surprise, the entire display of being half asleep was gone, replaced by something else entirely.

Something she didn't mind losing a little sleep to.

* * *

Marie crawled into bed beside Stein, more than a little surprised that he was in bed. She turned on her left side, facing the wall and away from him, when he spoke.

"Marie, where did you go?" His voice was quiet. Distant. Emotionless.

She didn't answer, just lay there breathing slowly, a million thoughts swirling through her mind. Tears welled at the corners of her eye, but she fought them back, her chest hiccuping. She felt him shift on the bed, then felt him wrap his arms around her, pulling her back against his chest, wrapping his long body around hers. The warmth of his body seemed to soak through hers and she couldn't stop the tears any longer.

She didn't know how long they lay like that. The only thing that she was aware of was the steady breathing of the man holding her and the tears that felt like they would never stop. Finally it felt like she had cried all of the tears she had, and she realized that as some point he had removed her eye patch and the tip of his finger was lightly lying against her left eye lid.

"Are you done, Marie?" He asked. She just nodded. She felt his arms move down to her sides and gently but firmly turn her to face him. "Now tell me where you went, and why you left without telling me."

"I… I went to talk to Azusa…" She whispered into his chest, feeling a blush rise on her cheeks.

"About what, Marie?" His body was tense, and Marie just now realized it.

"I just needed some girl time, Franken."

"You're lying. Your soul is quivering out of control, Marie. You don't have to be afraid to tell me why you went to talk to Azusa instead of me." He titled her head up to look at him. "I wish you had talked to me instead of Azusa."

She couldn't keep from breaking into tears again, grabbing for Stein's shirt before she realized that he wasn't wearing one and her nail scrabbled against one of the stitched scars. Remembering how he had gotten the half heart scar on his chest renewed the force of her tears, and she sobbed harder into his chest.

'_He doesn't keep anything from me… why can't I tell him how scared I am of the decision to give Elsa a scalpel? What if it was the wrong one… what if we wake up and she's cut herself open again…' _She felt it then, the barest flutter of his soul against hers. A tentative knock, not a demand, asking about resonance. She knew why he was doing it. It would force her to calm down to keep their souls in resonance, it would give her time to think about what was bothering her; it would let him know. Fighting her tears she calmed as much as she could, hoping it was enough.

Stein sighed as he felt his soul resonate with Marie's. The feeling was so comforting, even if it did let him know exactly what she was feeling. _"Marie… tell me what's bothering you, please."_ He whispered. He could feel the pain coursing through her soul.

Marie sobbed into his chest, so agitated that they almost couldn't keep the resonance going. Finally, brokenly, she sobbed her fear and pain out to him. He could sense the guilt deep inside her as well, for not talking to him. He held her mutely as she told him everything.

"Franken… I'm so sorry. I should have told you from the beginning… I just… I'm afraid for Elsa… what if… what if the madness takes her and there's no one there to help her…" Marie was out of tears, but her body was still wracked with her sobbing.

"Marie, we'll always be there for her. She's stronger than you're giving her credit for being. I promise you that." Marie looked up at him, curling her body against him.

"I'm sorry for doubting you, Franken… I'm sure that you're right." He could see it in her soul then, acceptance.

* * *

"Daddy!" Stein looked around to see Elsa standing on a chair outside the lab door, her face positively glowing. "Daddy, come quick!"

Saving the document he was working on Stein stood and walked out of the lab, locking it back behind him. "What is it, Elsa?" He asked, taking the hand that she was holding up to him.

"You have to see what mother's doing!" Elsa was grinning from ear to ear. "She's taking something apart!"

"Is she now?" Stein felt his curiosity piqued. Following his daughter, Stein entered the kitchen and felt the urge to crack up laughing.

Marie was elbow deep in a turkey, carefully pulling out the bundled up gizzards. "I told you she was taking something apart, daddy! I want to take it apart too!" Stein felt relief run through him as Marie giggled at her daughter.

"Maybe you can help me today instead of your daddy!" Elsa was pushing a chair over to stand up next to her mother before Marie had even finished her sentence.

"Daddy!" She called out. "You have to help too! I can't help without you. I promised!" Stein smiled, stepping behind Marie and wrapping his arms around her waist, his chin on her shoulder.

"I don't think your mother needs my help for this. She knows how to do this better than I do." Elsa's eyes grew wide at that statement.

"Really?" She asked her mother.

"I do, Elsa. Your daddy's terrible at doing this."

"Why is he terrible at doing this, but not the other taking apart?" Elsa asked, her small voice serious.

Marie smiled and bent over to whisper in her daughter's ear. Whatever she said made Elsa crack up and Stein just arched an eyebrow at Marie.

"Why turkey, Marie?" Stein asked after he had walked back over to the counter to watch his wife and daughter "take apart" a turkey.

"I marked it on your calendar, Franken." Marie answered nonchalantly. "Tomorrow's Thanksgiving. You didn't even notice that Elsa was home during school hours, did you?"

Stein thought, and then realized what it actually was. "I guess I didn't." He said, shrugging. "That's a large turkey, who is coming?"

"Spirit, Azusa, and James. Maybe our old students, depending on who's in town." Marie said, removing the last bag from the bird. Looking down at Elsa, Marie had a sudden idea. She bent down and whispered in the little girl's ear.

"Daddy!" She shouted as she rushed over to him. "I need gloves!" Stein smiled at Marie as she held up the bag of organs.

"Alright, Elsa. Remember to thank your mother."

"Thank you!" She yelled over her shoulder as she ran ahead of her father to get some gloves.

Marie sighed. _'Hard as it may be, I'm doing all I can to accept that Elsa is as much my daughter as Franken's. As long as she's happy and healthy I will be too.' _Marie thought, and smiled. Elsa came trotting back in and Marie handed her the bag with the heart, gizzards and liver in it.

"Now, make sure to listen to your father, Elsa."

"I will!" Elsa promised and ran off, carrying the bag.

* * *

Thanksgiving dinner went quickly, even if the only ones who actually showed up were Spirit and his family. Once it was over and Marie had sent Spirit and Azusa off with more left overs than they could possibly eat, they put Elsa to bed and Marie started doing dishes.

Stein watched for a few minutes, listening as Marie hummed, and couldn't help but smirk when he realized that the song was _Three Blind Mice_. He assumed that Marie didn't even realize what the song was. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and wound up supporting her when her legs gave out on her.

"Marie?" He asked, the concern evident on his face.

"I'm sorry, Franken. It's just been a long day and you startled me." She said, looking away from him.

"I'll take you to bed, Marie."

"That's not neccessa-" Marie eeped as he scooped his arms under her legs and picked her up, carrying her up the stairs. "I really need to get those done, Franken!"

"They'll still be there in the morning, Marie. If you're so tired that you collapsed you don't need to be doing them." He sat her down on their bed and retrieved a spare towel to dry her hands with. "Now, stay here, I'm going to go cut the lights off and we'll go to bed."

Marie silently watched him leave the room, then curled up, still fully dressed. She didn't want to tell him about the pain in her abdomen, or that it had gotten worse over the last couple weeks.

* * *

Marie sat up in bed, a strangled cry escaping before she could hide it, her hands wrapped around her stomach.

"Marie?" Stein asked, sitting up and wrapping his arm around her. "What's wrong?"

"A… A bad dream…" She muttered, teeth clenched against the pain.

Stein could feel the tension in her body, feel her trying to fight against pain, and he could see her holding her abdomen. Slowly he reached out and pushed gently on it, earning a gasp of pain.

"Marie… don't lie to me… how long has the pain been going on?" He said quietly.

"Almost a month…" She gasped out.

He didn't say anything else, just picked his wife up in his arms and carried her to the lab.

"It's nothing, Franken…" She said against his chest, wincing with every step that he took. He didn't respond, just kept on walking and then sat her on one of the operating tables.

"Franken… please… let's just go back to bed…" She begged, then grasped at her stomach again.

"Marie, what would you do if I was in pain? Would you let me go back to bed to deal with it, or would you do everything you could to find out what it was and fix it?" He looked at her as he walked over to one of the various machines he had, and pulled it over to the table. "I'm going to give you a shot of morphine for the pain, Marie. It may make you tired. If it does, go to sleep, it'll be alright. I'm going to do an ultrasound."

Marie just nodded, wincing slightly as the needle slid into her arm. The morphine did make her sleepy, and she let herself go to sleep.

* * *

Stein just stared at the results. After all the problems they had went through to have Elsa, how could something like this have happened accidentally? Marie was pregnant.

'_If I leave the fetus, it will kill Marie… An ectopic pregnancy… after everything we went through just to have Elsa… fate has not been kind.' _Turning back to his sleeping wife, Stein made a difficult decision. _'I won't tell her the truth. I'll tell her it was appendicitis. I'll remove the fetus, and her appendix…'_ Shaking his head, Stein sedated her and prepped for the surgery.

* * *

Marie woke up back in her old bed, a slight pain in her side, Stein lying beside her. Looking down she giggled slightly to realize that she was in one of his old shirts, bandages just barely visible where it had rode up. Marie reached out to her side, nervous about rolling over and messing anything up.

"Franken?" His eyes fluttered open and for a second she saw sadness in them, a deep immeasurable sadness.

Then he smiled. "Good morning, Marie. Are you feeling better?"

"What was wrong with me?" She asked, gingerly touching her side.

"Your appendix, Marie. If you had waited much longer, a few days, it might have ruptured. Don't keep anything like that from me again, please." He asked, rolling over to wrap his arms carefully around her.

"I won't." She promised, not sure why she had in the first place.

"Azusa and Spirit called while you were asleep." He said. "Apparently James' birthday party is going to be this week, they're doing it a few days early so it can be on Saturday. They want us to come and bring Elsa."

She smiled. "Do you think we can, Franken?" She watched as he thought about it and then nodded.

"So long as you feel up to it, Marie."

* * *

"I am not cheating!" Elsa's young voice screamed out.

"Are too!" A chorus rung back.

"I am NOT!" Tears slipped down Elsa's cheeks.

Spirit and Azusa looked up at each other. It was James' eighth birthday and he had insisted that everyone play Hide and Seek. Elsa had been the first caught in the last game, and as such had had to be the seeker in this one. Now it seemed that the other children were accusing her of cheating.

"What's going on?" Spirit asked as he walked over to the gaggle of children.

"There's no way that Elsa found all of us that fast!" One little boy said. "She had to cheat and watch us hide!"

"I did not!" Elsa yelled back, shaking her head so hard that her silver pigtails wrapped around her head.

"Elsa wouldn't cheat." James said simply.

"She had to!" Three other children yelled.

Before it could degrade anymore Spirit intervened. "Why don't you all go ahead and play tag outside? It's more fun than being stuck in here, and that way everyone can run around and play. We'll call you back in once we get to cut the cake!" He watched as all the kids except Elsa and James went outside. "Aren't you two going to go out and play?"

Elsa just shook her head, still upset. James shrugged. Spirit started to say something, but didn't bother and slowly walked off; as he did he heard James ask Elsa quietly, "How did you find us all so quickly?"

"You weren't hidden very well…" She trailed off. "I could see all of your glows so I just went to where they were…"

Spirit's eyes grew wide as he realized what Elsa was saying. "You see glows around people?" He heard James ask.

"Everyone has a glow. It's kind of hard not to see them, really, I have to focus really hard to make them go away." Elsa sniffled.

"That's so cool, Elsa." James said. "I wish I could see people's glows."

"Really?" She asked, her sniffles stopped.

"Yeah!" Spirit watched as James grabbed her hand. "Let's go play tag now, ok?"

"Sure!" Elsa closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side smiling, and the two rushed outside.

Spirit walked over to Stein and Marie. "I think I may have just found out the answer to our bet, Stein."

Stein looked up at him. "What bet, Senpai?" Marie looked over to her husband, obviously confused.

Spirit pulled a ten dollar bill out of his wallet. "Ask Elsa about the glows she sees, I'm sure you'll figure it out." Stein just smirked, pocketing the bill.

* * *

**A/N: I hope that you enjoyed the latest installment! I'll get the next out asap, I love you all! Also… if any of you lovely people can draw out there… I want a picture of my little silver haired Elsa and Spirit and Azusa's little James playing tag :( I can't draw -.- I'll reward you, yes I will! I can put your OC into the story if you want :) (Begging ensues… I hate having an image in my head and not being able to put it on paper)**

**I don't own Soul Eater, but my lil Elsa is all mines! /rawr**


	5. Promises

"Well, Marie, it seems that I was correct and you were not." Stein smirked in bed later that night.

"About what, Franken?" She asked, rolling over to look at him.

"It seems that Elsa can see individual's souls. She'll be a meister when she enters the DWMA." He smirked, but it slipped from his face when he saw the grin that Marie had on hers. "Marie?"

"You seem to forget that Azusa can sense souls just like you can, and she's a weapon." She pinched his shoulder. "I could still be right!" Stein tickled her side in retaliation. She arched away from him, giggling.

"We'll see, Marie. You keep going on about how much she's like me, so we'll have to see." He smirked as she slapped his chest with her open palm.

"Oh shut up, Franken. I want to go to sleep." He just smirked as he heard her whisper, _"She's going to be a weapon, she has to take after me somehow…"_

* * *

"Daddy!" Elsa's scream rang through the lab. "Daaaadddddyyyy!" It repeated a second later. Stein looked up from his work, hitting his feet before the echoes had even stopped ringing.

"Daaaadddddyyyy!" Stein rushed out of the lab, not even bothering to lock the door behind him. He followed the screams up to the roof, where he found Marie and Elsa sitting on the edge of the roof, both of them giggling.

"What are you two doing?" He demanded.

Elsa screamed for him again and he watched in horror as Marie pushed her off the side of the building, both of them still giggling even as Elsa screamed. Stein dove for his daughter, watching as his hand missed hers by scant centimeters and she plummeted to the ground below.

Stein whirled on Marie. She was still giggling. He grabbed her by her shoulders, pulling her up and away from the edge; shaking the death scythe. "What the hell did you just do, Marie?! That was Elsa! That was our daughter!"

Marie's head hung down as she laughed. The laugh rose until it was a cracked version of reality, her soul flickering with madness. "Our daughter?" She managed to get out. "She was always your daughter. She was never mine." She strained against his hands, cackling. "I may have carried her, but she was always yours!" Her voice changed to a singsong parody of a mother. "And now your little baby will always be a little baby for you to love and have. Inside a beaker, no a petri dish!"

Stein shook her again, fighting the anger that told him to send his wavelength through her. "Marie, that's not the truth!"

He felt the surge of Izuna before he even realized that Marie had transformed. This time, however, the power sent him to his knees. "M-Marie…" He choked out, the energy burning him from the inside out. He turned his head to the sky and screamed.

"Marie! Stop! Please!"

* * *

"Franken?" Marie hesitantly reached out and grabbed Stein's shoulder. "Franken, wake up!" She shook his shoulder even as he screamed for her to please stop. She drew one hand back and slapped his face. It had no effect, he was still pleading against whatever the dream version of her was doing. Marie took a deep breath, hating to do what she was going to, but she did, transforming, activating Izuna, hoping that the shock would be enough to bring him back to her.

It was, but not in the way that she had hoped. Stein's eyes opened wide and he gave a wordless scream, attempting to fling the hammer at the wall, stopped only by the tendrils around his wrist. "No more, Marie!" He screamed as he collapsed against the bed.

Marie resumed her human form, standing at the foot of the bed. "Franken?" She called out. "Love?" She watched as Stein's eyes focused on her. She hardly ever called him by any pet names that it was a shock when she did.

"Marie?" He asked, rubbing his hand against his throat, feeling how sore it was. "Elsa!" He bolted around her, rushing to his daughter's room and throwing the door open. He hit his knees when he saw her sound asleep in bed; one hand reaching shakily to turn the screw in his head.

"Franken, whatever it was, it was a dream…" Marie said softly from behind him. He turned to face her, then wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face against her stomach. She reached down and stroked his hair gently before sinking to her knees with him, holding him as he sat there mutely.

"_You'll tell me what it was when you want to." _She whispered.

He could only nod, letting her help him back to the bedroom.

* * *

"Marie… I'm sorry." He said more to himself than her, but she heard him. "I know you wouldn't do what you did in the dream. It was just so real, so vivid. And then, Izuna. She was using it too, to punish me. It solidified the dream." He turned to look at her, one hand moving to turn the screw again. "I'm glad you woke me though. I don't know how much more I could have taken, Marie."

She just wrapped her arms around him. _"I have no idea what to do or say…" _She thought bitterly. _"I still don't even know what had him so upset, and he's apologizing to me…"_

"Franken? What did you dream?" He looked at her and she was almost afraid she had asked.

"I… I dreamt that you and Elsa were on the roof. Elsa was screaming for me. When I got there, the two of you were giggling, she screamed for me again when you two saw me. You pushed her off the roof when she did and she fell. I couldn't catch her, and she giggled until she hit the concrete." He took a deep breath, twisting the screw again. "You then told me that she wasn't your daughter, that she never had been. That this way I could have her forever inside a beaker. Then you used Izuna to punish me for our daughter not loving you."

"_Franken… I'm sorry…"_ Marie whispered, shocked at the nightmare he had had.

"Marie… I have nightmares constantly. They're why I don't sleep much. This was just a bad one." He said reassuringly, sensing the upset in her soul.

"I didn't know, Franken…" She trailed off, struggling to hold in her tears.

"Marie, don't cry. It's been like this ever since I was a child. It's the only way my mind copes with the madness. It locks it away, and when I sleep, it floods out. It's better this way, it keeps me focused while I'm awake." He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. "We need to get some rest, though."

"You're right…" She trailed off, burying her head into his chest, blocking out the image of her pushing Elsa off the roof. She pulled away from him suddenly, standing. "I'm not going to be able to sleep." She said simply, glancing at the clock. _"3am. Well, it's going to be a long day."_

She left Stein lying in bed, and went to the room they had converted years ago into a training area. There hadn't been a need to use it in so long. She brushed the dust off of the equipment, and then realized she was still in her nightclothes. Shrugging she stripped them off, down to her bra and panties. She then began to take her aggression and anger at not being able to help her husband out on the training dummies.

"Marie?" Stein's voice came from behind her, followed by a smaller, quieter voice.

"Mother, what are you doing?"

Marie spun around, acutely aware of the sweat on her body and the fact that she was so skimpily dressed. Stein stood there holding their daughter, who was rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Marie glanced up at the clock, it was a little bit after four.

"Go back to bed, sweetheart." Marie said quietly, grabbing her robe and pulling it around her.

"You're making too much noise." Elsa complained. "You and daddy have been shouting at each other for the last hour, and it's too loud to sleep."

Stein just looked at her. "Honey, we haven't said anything to each other." Marie said.

"You're doing it right now… you and daddy are yelling at each other and it's so loud!" Elsa covered her ears.

"Marie… try to calm your wavelength." Stein said gently. "Elsa's picking up on how chaotic both of ours have become tonight. She's hearing them."

It took a long minute before Marie was able to calm down. Elsa's reaction was instantaneous. "I'm glad you're not fighting now! Can we go back to bed? I'm sleepy." She punctuated the statement with a yawn.

Marie forced a smile and took her from Stein. "Let's go to bed, sweetheart."

* * *

"She heard our wavelengths?" Marie asked, a hot cup of tea in her hands.

"It would seem so, Marie. It just solidifies that she's going to be a meister." He smirked.

"Still no hard proof, Franken." Marie replied sweetly, and then ruined the moment by suppressing a yawn.

"Yet there still isn't any proof that she'll be a weapon either, Marie." The two bantered back and forth for a while, Stein too tired to pay attention to the wavelength standing right outside the kitchen door, listening in.

"_I'm not going to be a weapon."_ Elsa thought with sudden determination. _ "I'm going to be a meister just like Daddy."_

* * *

The next few months passed in a blur from spring into summer vacation, and then into the beginning of another school year. Elsa was ready to start school again, excited about being in James' class again, and even more excited when she learned that this year she would be getting to have different classes through the day instead of just the one.

"I even get a science class!" She was practically bouncing as her mother helped her dress herself. Looking down she plucked at the green dress. "I don't want to wear this one." She said suddenly.

"What one do you want to wear then?" Marie asked, laughing.

"This one!" Elsa ran over to the closet and pulled a simple white sun dress out, one that Stein had taken the time to put stitches on for her. "I want to wear this one and the flower clips with the skulls for the middles and my flip flops that daddy made." Marie just shook her head and smiled.

"Alright, sweetheart. Are you excited about starting the third grade?"

"I am! It's going to be so much fun!" Marie looked up as she heard Stein chuckle from the doorway.

"I thought that letting her wear that to school was a bad idea, Marie." He said.

"Why would wearing it be a bad idea, mother? Why shouldn't I wear it to school?" Elsa asked.

"Some of the other kids might make fun of you, Elsa." Marie explained.

"I don't care!" She said triumphantly. "If they make fun of me I can just tell you or daddy or James and then they won't make fun of me anymore."

Marie looked at Stein who just shrugged. "That's right, sweetheart." Marie said. "We won't let them make fun of you."

Elsa paid attention with all her heart and soul at school. She drank everything in that the teacher told her, topping the tests for her class, constantly setting the curve. She particularly excelled at science, though she was disappointed when the teacher told her that no, they wouldn't be taking anything apart until she was in middle school at least. She got into her first fight without James in the third grade as well.

"_Let me swing." The girl had said, as soon as Elsa had sat down._

"_No, I'm swinging." Elsa had replied. "You have to wait your turn."_

"_No, I don't. You're going to let me swing because I swing there every day." The girl snarled her nose and added. "Though I'm not sure I want to because you look like such a freak in that horrible dress and I might catch it."_

_Elsa slowed down her swinging, letting her feet dangle, her head downcast. "You take that back. My dress is perfect. Daddy made sure of that."_

_The other girl just laughed. "It's ugly, just like you!"_

_Elsa's fist balled up, her father's words against fighting ringing in her ears. "It is not!"_

"_I'll say it's not if you get up and let me swing." The girl said laughing._

"_Bully." Elsa said, dripping acid. "You're a big, stupid, bully."_

_The girl's friend grabbed the swing and roughly shook Elsa off of it. "You've had your turn." The older boy said laughing._

"_Thanks, Brandon." The older girl said to him. "I guess this little brat learned her place. Might want to have your daddy stitch up that hole you just got in that ugly dress."_

_Elsa lunged, hitting the girl square in the stomach and launching them both backwards into the air on the swing. They fell with Elsa on top, and Elsa punched her in the stomach again. The older boy grabbed Elsa nearly immediately and struggled to hold Elsa away from him and the other girl; Elsa kicking and scratching._

_James' voice rang out, and Elsa looked up, going limp. "Put her down!" He snarled, darting for the boy. They both went down in a heap, and when they stood up the boy and the girl just ran._

"_Elsa, are you alright?" James asked, adjusting his glasses. "You have to be more careful, you could have gotten yourself hurt!" Elsa just nodded._

"_I'm sorry, onii-san." Elsa said, embarrassed. _

"_Just promise you'll be more careful, imouto. Don't pick fights without me."_

_Elsa tilted her head and smiled. "I promise!" James smiled at her and ruffled her hair._

* * *

Elsa stood in her room, staring at her hands. She had seen daddy make his light up and something play across his palms a couple time when he and mother had been play fighting and didn't think she was awake. She was going to do the same thing, because she was like daddy. She was not like mother. And if she could do it, then she wouldn't have to break her promise to James to be careful if she got in a fight without him again.

So she stood in her room, listening to mother and daddy yabber to each other in the way only they could talk to each other. They still didn't know that she heard them every time they had an argument or something caused their wavelengths to become frantic. It was a headache, but she was learning to tune it out, just like she was teaching herself to ignore the glows better.

"_I can do it." _ She told herself. _"If daddy can do it, so can I. Because I'm going to be just like daddy. I'm not going to be like mother. I'm going to be like daddy!"_

She tried for over an hour, focusing on her hands, on the light that she knew should be there. She heard her parents calm down, then fade into slumber, yet she kept on trying.

Then it happened. The light sprung around her hands and she couldn't keep from bursting out in laughter. Curiously she reached out to touch her bedroom door and was thrown backwards by the force of her soul's wavelength.

* * *

Stein and Marie heard the explosion. Throwing open their door they saw the wreckage of Elsa's door and neither of them hesitated; Marie transforming even as they ran, Stein bringing Soul Menace up around his hands. Neither of them were prepared to find just Elsa in her room, sitting quietly amid the wreckage giggling at the wavelength running across her hands.

"I can do it too, Daddy! I tried really hard and I did it!" Elsa grinned up at him.

Marie switched back to her human form, disbelief on her face. Stein just smirked. "I told you, Marie."

* * *

**A/N: I almost didn't finish this chapter before I came to bed. Well, there you have it… the answer to the poll question- but it is the full answer? ;) I suppose you'll just have to read on to find out! I hope you do continue to read, and review. It makes me happy to find the PMs of people offering OCs to help out, the reviews from people telling me they are enjoying it, and the overwhelming support I have from all of you. I do have someone (a RL friend) doing a picture of Elsa for us :) Thanks for all of your encouragement, I love you all!**

**I don't own Soul Eater, but Elsa is all mines! You no can has! /rawr :)**


	6. Life Lessons

"Why don't you come sleep with us tonight, Elsa?" Marie asked, looking down at the sparking energy on her daughter's hands. "You have school early in the morning."

Stein couldn't form words. He stood there mute, shocked at what his daughter had accomplished at this age. He felt the smirk grow on his face and didn't try to hide it, and then Marie punched him. He blinked and picked himself up and off the floor while Elsa and Marie laughed.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"Elsa asked you a question, Franken." Marie said.

"Daddy… how do I make it stop now?" She looked up at him and he could clearly see the effort that this was putting on her soul.

The question puzzled him. He honestly couldn't describe what he did to start or stop the current of his wavelength, he just did. Holding his hands in front of himself, he pushed the wavelength through and then stopped it. He looked and saw Elsa squinting at him. He started the current of his wavelength again, letting it play against his hands and then stopped it.

"You can see how, Elsa." He said. She smiled suddenly, as if understanding. Both her parents watched as the flicker around her hands faded. "I'm very proud of you, Elsa." He said, scooping to pick her up. "Now then, I believe that it's time for bed. Why don't you sleep with your mother and me?"

"Alright daddy!" Though her voice was cheerful it was also exhausted sounding.

'_Of course it is._' Stein thought to himself as he carried her to his and Marie's room. _'She burned a lot of energy doing that. She may have stretched her soul out; I'll have to monitor it to make sure.' _He slid into the bed, placing Elsa in between him and Marie. She was already asleep before he even pulled up the blanket.

* * *

Elsa was sick. She was running a fever and nothing that Marie had given it had brought it down. Stein looked at the blood samples he had taken and just shook his head. Nothing. There was no sign of infection, no sign of any illness. It made no sense. She shouldn't be sick; she shouldn't even be running a fever. There was simply no reason for it. He reached up and twisted the screw in his head, running over things that could cause a fever with no obvious effects.

As happens so often, the screw turned over with a clank and he was able to see. _"Her soul!" _He whispered to himself. _"She did too much too soon; it's almost like a muscle in that regard. I have to let Marie know." _A chuckle escaped him. _'She really is taking after me.' _The memories of his first use of Soul Menace and the days that he had spent shaking, caught in a grip of weakness like he had never known assailed him.

"Of course…" He mused to himself, "Spirit-Senpai was there to help me through it, after we had discovered its usage and I incredibly over extended myself." Standing up with a smile he exited the lab, sharing the good news with Marie.

* * *

The next year passed slowly. Elsa's eighth birthday came and passed, and James turned ten. Elsa spent every free minute with her father, learning how to better control her wavelength. It was tedious work, but Elsa relished every minute of it. Marie enjoyed it because it kept both Elsa and Stein from wanting to dissect something, other than possibly each other.

Elsa started the fourth grade with James and they were inseparable. Though they both made friends apart from each other, those friends were pretty much forced to be friends with the other. If someone didn't get along with Elsa or James, James was quick to tell them to leave. Elsa was the same. Most children assumed they were siblings with the amount of time they spent together. This made Elsa a prime target for bully's looking to take on her "older brother", something that happened quite often that year. James was making a rather nice name for himself, never losing a fight, or injuring the other child more than necessary to end it quickly. That all changed when Matthew showed back up.

* * *

James' fist crossed in front of Elsa, knocking the other boy to the ground. James rubbed his knuckles, standing directly in front of Elsa, taking the boys lunge standing, refusing to budge.

"You are NOT going to touch her." The ten year growled, pushing the other boy back to the ground.

"James, I can handle this!" Elsa grabbed at his shoulder. "Onii-chan!" She shouted.

James wasn't listening to her. He simply replied, "Imouto, go back inside. I'll deal with this."

One of the other girls in the class grabbed Elsa's hand, pulling her away from James and the boy. James looked over his shoulder and gave Elsa a reassuring smile as the other boy struggled back to his feet and a small crowd started to form around them.

"Now then, Matthew. I think I owe you another shove. With interest for the last few years, that equals another punch, maybe two." Matthew tried to dodge, but James was faster and he connected.

"She's a witch!" Matthew yelled back. "She gave me nightmares for years after what she said! I'll beat you up, and then her! Witches are evil!" Matthew swung. James was the son of two death scythes; he easily dodged the blow, and hit Matthew hard in the stomach.

"She is NOT a witch, Matthew! That's the type of stuff that ruins people's lives!" Anger was burning James up. That was his imouto that Matthew was calling a witch. "Take it back!" He screamed, punching the boy again.

"I won't!" Matthew yelled. Matthew didn't stand a chance, but James didn't care. Matthew had tried, again, to hurt Elsa. Matthew was trying to hurt his imouto. This time James could do something about it. When the teacher arrived she had to pull James off of him, the other boy unconscious on the ground.

* * *

"You got suspended for fighting?" James hung his head as his mother continued. "What have we told you, James? We let you do exercises so you would be ready for the E.A.T. class at the DWMA, but you were forbidden from fighting at school!"

"You don't understand, mom." He mumbled.

"Then explain why you thought you could beat that boy up." Spirit's voice came.

James mumbled something under his breath.

"Speak louder." The two adults said together.

"I had to." He said quietly.

"That's not an explanation." Spirit said.

"Because… because if I hadn't he would have hurt Elsa again…" James took a deep breath. "He called her a witch!" The glint from his glasses hid the anger that had welled up in his eyes.

"You beat him up because he called Elsa a witch?" Spirit asked.

"He was going to try to beat her up. He told me so. He said that he was going to finish beating me up and then he was going to go beat her up because she was a witch." James was so angry remembering Matthew's tone that he started shaking, his hands clenched into fists.

Spirit and Azusa shared a glance. "James, listen to me closely." Spirit placed his hands on James' shoulders, kneeling down to look him in the eyes. "You did the right thing." James' eyes went wide as Spirit continued. "That being said, I never want to hear of you getting into a fight on school grounds again, do you understand me? You could have killed that boy."

James lowered his head again, a meek "Yes, sir." Being his only response.

* * *

"Marie, has Stein talked to you about what happened earlier yet?" Azusa asked over their tea.

"No, what are you talking about, Azusa?" Marie looked up. "The coffee's good by the way." She said smiling.

Azusa just shook her head at Marie's ditzyness. "James got suspended from school Tuesday. He won't be allowed back for two weeks."

Marie was shocked. "What happened, Azusa?"

Azusa adjusted her glasses and leaned back onto her couch. "Apparently the student that beat Elsa up in kindergarten is going to the same school that James and her are now. He threatened to beat up Elsa, and James stepped in." Azusa took a deep breath. "James nearly killed the boy, Marie. He put him in the hospital overnight."

The tea cup clattered from Marie's hands, smashing into bits on the floor as it hit the side of the table, soaking the carpet with tea. "He did what? Because of Elsa?"

"Apparently the boy was accusing Elsa of being a witch. James demanded that he take it back, and when the boy attacked James trying to get to Elsa, James fought back. One of the teachers saw the whole thing from their classroom window. He said that James gave the boy a few swings where he dodged, but then it was like something snapped and James struck the boy. Once someone got to them, James had knocked the other boy out and was standing over him."

"Azusa… that's assault… are they going to try to press charges or anything?" Marie looked completely shocked.

"Actually, no. With the other boy swinging first, it's self-defense." Azusa adjusted her glasses. "We've had a discussion about this with James. Did you know that this isn't the first fight that he's gotten in to because of Elsa?"

"I didn't know that… I'm sorry, Azusa. I'll have a talk with Elsa; see if there's something we can do. Maybe get her separated from him, that might help?" Azusa could plainly see the worry on Marie's face.

"I don't think that that would be the best thing to do." Marie just blinked. "Actually I brought it up because it seems that James views Elsa as his imouto… little sister. Apparently the teacher over heard him call her that, and Elsa called him Onii-chan… big brother. I know that Elsa's showing signs of being a meister, and we've known for a while now that James is a weapon." Azusa leaned forward, her glasses glinting. "How about we do something to scare them out of fighting for a while?"

Marie couldn't help but shudder. Azusa was her best friend, but when she got like this, scary things tended to happen. "Like what, Azusa?"

"We see if they can actually resonate souls. It seems highly likely that they will be partners when they join the DWMA. Maybe if we can show them that fighting is not always the best plan, they'll learn to pick their battles more carefully and it will cut down on the fighting at school."

"You mean… a fake mission?" Marie guessed.

"Exactly. One they won't have a chance to succeed at- it will teach them caution."

* * *

"I get to be like daddy?" Elsa asked, her eight year old face completely serious.

"Just like your daddy, sweetheart. And you'll get to spend time with James." Marie smiled. "Except, James isn't going to look like you're used to."

"Is he going to look like you look when you and daddy are doing your angry game?" Elsa made a face that looked almost exactly like Stein's when he was in the middle of an intense training session, and Marie laughed.

"Not quite honey. Azusa and Spirit will be over soon with James. I think you're going to get to meet Soul and Maka too today, they're bringing their little one over to watch." Marie smiled again, thinking of Maka's little Emily.

"Yayayay!" Elsa shrieked, excited about meeting someone new. In her excitement she forgot all about how James was going to look different.

* * *

"Alright, Elsa. James is a weapon. You're a meister. We're going to see if you and him can be partners when you go to the DWMA, alright?" Stein knelt in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She fidgeted a little in her white, stitched sun dress. "This is very important. When he transforms, you need to catch him, ok? Don't drop him." She just nodded, looking over at James.

"Are you ready James?" The ten year old nodded, light blue light flickering around him before he transformed into his weapon form, zooming towards Elsa's hands. Elsa screamed and darted behind her daddy. The assembled adults laughed a bit.

Elsa didn't hear them. She was staring at the weapon on the ground in front of her. It looked like a gun. It was a gun. But it had a blade on the end. The edge on that blade fascinated her and she reached out, running a finger across it, blood beading along the blade from the cut she inflicted. She watched in fascination as it dripped down.

In a flash of light, James was himself again, his right hand on her wrist, droplets of Elsa's blood on his right arm. "Elsa, what are you doing?!" He demanded, pressing the palm of his left hand against the cut on her finger.

Elsa just giggled. "You're awesome, James. Can we try again? I think I can catch you this time." His anger melted away as she tilted her head to the side and smiled at him. Shaking his head, and now certain that the wound wasn't deep or hurting her, in a flash of that light blue light he took his weapon form again and this time, Elsa caught him.

"Daddy…" Elsa began hesitantly and Stein smiled. He could see it before the others could. There would be no need to teach the two of them to resonate. They already were.

Elsa slipped her fingers through the brass knuckles that formed the handle of James' weapon form, giggling at how perfect a fit they were. It was like there was no weight at all. She giggled, and then gasped when she heard James' voice in her head.

* * *

"_So this is what it's like running around in your head." He whispered, and Elsa closed her eyes, looking inward for him, like her daddy had said she should._

_She found herself standing at the top of a tier of eight rows of seats, looking down at a central area that had a single stainless steel operating table under a bare bulb. James sat in the front row, dressed in a surgeon's gown. She looked down and found herself wearing a lab coat much like her father's and giggled, moving down to sit with him._

"_You are totally weird." He whispered as he looked around at the Operating Theater. "I heard my mom and dad talk about this place a few times. Not yours, specifically, but they say that everyone has one, just that many people don't bother ever coming to theirs. I think it's kinda cool that we did the first time we paired up. Pretty sure that this one is yours though, mine wouldn't be this weird!"_

_Elsa giggled, then stood and moved to the operating table. There were scalpels of every size and a plethora of string and twine beside them, and needles to go with it. "James, this place is so awesome."_

"_Weird." He laughed though. "What do you think mine is like?" He asked suddenly._

"_Can't we go and see?" Elsa asked, turning to him._

"_I honestly don't know. I don't even know how we got here." He looked around. "Or how we get out and back to everyone."_

_Elsa felt a moment of panic. She didn't remember seeing any doors out of here. Glancing over her shoulder though, she saw the light of an EXIT sign and smiled. "Over there, I think." Skipping up the tiers she pushed the door open and stepped through._

* * *

It took her a moment to let her eyesight readjust. Her father was in front of her, snapping his fingers in her face. She took an involuntary step back, half raising James before she realized it was her daddy. He just laughed and tousled her hair. She didn't know that he was reading her soul, or that he was incredibly proud of what he had just seen in it.

It was then that she heard her mother's cheer. She looked up and Marie and Azusa were both smiling, and Spirit was over at a bush throwing up. Maka and Soul were grinning.

"Daddy? What do we do now?"

"Well, Elsa, at this point, you would be getting into a fight with something, wouldn't you?" He asked. Suddenly Elsa was very scared.

"_We… we're not supposed to fight." _She whispered.

"That's right, you're not supposed to fight other children." Stein looked down at the weapon in his daughter's hands. "Are you James?" Both of them heard James' gulp. "Fortunately, we have a problem that you can help us with that will let you test your abilities without having to fight a child."

"We get to help you?!" Elsa asked, her eyes lighting up.

"You do, but before we go, I want to make sure that you understand something. If anything goes wrong, you have to run back to your mother and Spirit as fast as possible, ok?" He was talking to his daughter and chuckled as he glanced down at James' weapon form. "I suppose that goes as your father and Marie for you, James."

He adjusted his glasses and looked at Elsa again, his face completely serious. "If something happens, you have to come back and get them, promise me."

"I… I promise daddy."

* * *

"_Sid."_ The zombie opened his eyes, turning off the music he'd been listening to.

"Yeah, Azusa?"

"_We're on our way with James and Elsa. Ready to scare some sense into them?"_

Sid grumbled as he stood up. "Why do I always have to be the bad guy, Azusa?"

"_Because you're big and blue. Marie said to take it as a compliment."_

Sid laughed as Nygus transformed into her weapon form for him and they dove underground.

* * *

"We have to watch our steps here." Stein said taking the lead, carrying Azusa in her weapon form. "We're after a zombie, so it could come from below or above us."

Elsa's eyes were wide open. She had never concentrated harder on the glows that she could see than she was right now. She saw the zombie's glow before he could leave the ground and she screamed as he popped up, pointing James at him and pulling the trigger.

"_What the-?" _Sid immediately dove back down, narrowly dodging the shot. _"Stein never said that the kid would be trying to shoot me!"_

Stein couldn't help but laugh at the look of panic on Sid's face and his almost immediate return to the soil. It was a perfect opportunity though, and Stein wasn't going to waste it.

"_Azusa, get Sid to come up again, this time grabbing my ankles and throwing me against the wall over there." _

A second later it happened, and even with Stein bracing for it, the impact was rough. Elsa screamed and there was a retort of gunfire. He staggered to his feet and watched in shock as Elsa rushed at Sid, stabbing James' blade deep into the zombie's leg.

Sid took it better than Stein would have. He grabbed Elsa and flung her, carefully aiming so that she would land on a pile of leaves instead of anything hard, James going along with. Elsa never made it to the leaves; James switched back to his human form, catching her in mid-flight and pulling the two of them to a stop, both on their feet before switching back.

Stein was impressed.

However, at this point, Elsa would have made herself the target, had Sid not had orders to ignore her. Stein charged, Soul Menace on his hands, making contact with Sid before Sid realized what had happened. Stein smiled sadistically, but winked the eye that Elsa couldn't see and rather than discharge his wavelength, he just gave Sid a mild shove as Sid jumped back. It was realistic looking.

"_Have Sid do it now, Azusa." _Stein braced as a second later Sid's headstone rammed into him, slamming him back into the wall. This time he slumped back against it, chuckling as Sid blocked Elsa's view of him and Sid slipped the ketchup pack from the his wristband, squirting it on Stein's face. Elsa screamed again as she saw her father slump against the wall.

"We have to go back!" James' voice called out as she charged Sid, who just backhanded her gently. "You promised your dad! We have to get help!"

Sid raised the headstone over Stein's head, then started to bring it down.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you, Fall-chan, for inspiring a great deal of this chapter. It was the kick start I needed :) Eivexst-san, Warwulf, Boob Tube, Fall-chan, thanks a ton for all the reviews you've left! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter- love you all!  
**

**I may not own Soul Eater, but I do own Elsa and her overly protective weapon, James. They is mine!  
**


	7. If Only

Trying to make it look realistic, Stein let himself slump against the wall, eyes closed and hiding the smirk that pulled at his lips. He felt the breeze generated by Sid's headstone as he brought it down, and braced his body. Azusa was inches away from his hand, still in weapon form. Everything was going according to plan.

"Elsa, don't! We have to go get help!" He heard James scream out a spilt second before something soft and warm hit his chest.

"Daddy!"

Stein opened his eyes. Elsa lay against his chest, whimpering as she braced for the impact. "Sid!" He shouted, desperately trying to get to his feet.

"Oh Shi-" Sid's voice called out as he tried to stop the attack.

"No!" Nygus' voice came from the weapon.

"Abort!" Azusa's voice rang out from her weapon form.

It was too late. Stein could only watch as the hit that was meant for him, the hit whose strength was gauged to what he could take and make look real, the hit that was meant for the most powerful meister to ever graduate from the DWMA, smashed his only daughter against his chest and she crumpled. The force knocked him back against the wall, slamming his head hard against the concrete and blood flew from his mouth, his glasses flying from his face.

In an instant Nygus and Azusa were at his side, moving the crumpled child off of him, carefully laying her down on the ground. Her blood stained her white dress and was splattered all over his chest. Stein felt a wave of nausea roll over him as the madness came. He momentarily wanted to kill, to dissect, Sid. He fought it off, focusing on Elsa.

James surprised them all. He gave a wordless scream of rage and charged Sid, transforming just his arm and sliding the blade deep into Sid's abdomen. Sid collapsed, holding his stomach and Nygus moved to pin James. Azusa was faster, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him close. They watched in amazement as James hit his knees, tears flowing freely and his arm reverted to normal. Sid pushed what pieces of his anatomy had spilled out of the hole back in and just sat on the ground.

"Take care of her, Stein. I'll be fine. A little scratch like this is nothing for the man I was." Sid said heavily.

Stein moved to carefully look at his daughter. There was blood in the corners of her mouth and some trickling down her chin. Her chest was barely moving, and he could tell just from the force of the blow that he had felt that she probably had at least a few broken ribs. He could hear James sobbing in the background as he gingerly felt Elsa's neck. It didn't feel broken, thankfully.

"Azusa?" He asked quietly.

"Stein?"

"Get Spirit to bring Marie. I need her to bring me a few things from the lab. Hurry." Azusa didn't argue at the order, just closed her eyes and reached out to her husband.

* * *

"_Spirit."_

"How's it going, Azusa?" He whispered.

"_We need you and Marie here now. There's been an accident. Stein has a list of stuff you have to bring with you. Hurry."_

Spirit blinked at the list, putting the pieces together. "Oh shit." Was all he managed before he rushed into the lab, grabbing the items that Stein had listed off.

"Marie!" He yelled as he came back out. "Marie, we have to go now! There's been an accident!" Marie looked up from where she was talking with Soul and Maka and paled when she saw what Spirit had in his arms. They both took off running towards his vehicle. Soul and Maka looked at each other and followed.

* * *

Marie sobbed as she watched Stein slip a brace around their daughter's neck and couldn't watch as he and Spirit lifted her limp body onto a stretcher. Azusa stood beside her, one arm around Marie and one arm holding James against her side. Soul and Maka stood, staring in disbelief at what had happened.

"_Marie… I'm sorry."_ Azusa whispered. _"This was my idea. If I hadn't pushed for this, Elsa would never have been hurt. I'm so sorry."_

Marie looked up at Azusa and just shook her head. "It was an accident. A terrible accident, Azusa. Don't blame yourself…" She looked over at her daughter, pale against the stretcher and sobbed again. Stein spoke briefly with Nygus, handing her a few things, then stepped into the back of Spirit's SUV, holding the stretcher still as they took off.

* * *

_James stood in a dark room. He knew where the light was, he was just afraid to turn it on. If he turned it on, he would see it again._

_But he was afraid of the dark._

_He shuddered in his corner, desperate for some other form of light. Anything would do so long as it meant not turning on that bare bulb in the center of the room. He groped his way to the edge of the room, searching for the __**EXIT**__ sign and door that he remembered seeing. He seemed to go around the room forever, never finding the door._

_Tears in his eyes he staggered to the middle of the room, desperate for light. He pulled the cord and the bare bulb illuminated the operating table it was hanging over. On it laid Elsa, her eyes closed in a parody of sleep. She was covered in blood, bruises already formed on her. Her chest didn't move. She didn't smile at him._

_She was dead. Because of him._

* * *

Marie sat outside the lab, banned from entering by both Spirit and Stein. Azusa sat beside her, also forbidden to enter. Maka and Soul had left, taking James with them, the boy wouldn't stop crying. It broke Azusa's heart to have him leave without her, but she needed to be there, and letting James see Elsa in her current condition would have been traumatizing, so Maka and Soul had offered to take him for the night.

"What were we thinking, Azusa? We should have foreseen that this is what would have happened… Elsa loves her daddy too much to let anything happen to him. I just don't understand why we went ahead with it…"

"Marie, we all agreed to this. It was going to show the kids to retreat from battles they couldn't win. It was going to make them realize that fighting wasn't always the way to go. No one knew that Elsa would sacrifice herself to protect Stein." Azusa lightly touched Marie's shoulder and then felt her eyes widen in shock as the death scythe buried her face against her shoulder, sobbing. Hesitantly Azusa brought her hands up to hug Marie. "It's going to be alright, Marie. Elsa will be fine. You married a doctor after all."

Marie hiccupped a small laugh. "I did, didn't I…" She muttered, pulling back from Azusa. "I'm sorry, Azusa… I just ruined your jacket."

Azusa looked down and laughed a little. "If you hadn't James did." The two women, calmer now, stood and looked in the door of the lab at the two men and child inside.

* * *

Spirit didn't do much but keep Stein company while he worked on Elsa. He did however look at Stein when he saw Elsa's scar.

"She did it herself, Senpai. There's a reason we keep the lab locked." He said, carefully taking the X-Rays and ultrasounds.

"Herself?"

"She snuck into the lab and took one of my scalpels. She wanted to "take something apart" and the only thing in reach was herself. She didn't use any anesthesia, so we found out immediately when she started screaming from the pain."

Spirit shuddered, taking a step back from the table.

"That's terrible, Stein."

"That's why we put a stop to it, Senpai."

It took nearly three hours for Stein to catalogue and fix all of the damage that he could.

When the two men opened the door to the lab, Stein carefully carrying Elsa, Marie nearly collapsed sobbing. Azusa was able to ask how she was through her own tears.

"She'll make a full recovery. She has a few broken ribs, and she'll have some rather nasty contusions, but she'll be fine." Spirit explained as Stein walked on past the women. "Stein said that, so it's true." He added.

* * *

_James screamed, scrambling backwards from the sight on the table. Elsa didn't react, her expression never changed. The darkness was preferable to seeing her like that. To seeing his imouto lying lifeless on an operating table. To knowing that he was the cause of it. If only he had been faster, if only he had grabbed her wrist and puller her away from her dad. If only he had managed to save her._

_If only._

_James screamed and couldn't stop, begging for her to open her eyes and smile at him again, begging for the light to turn off, begging for the if only to be true. He screamed until he was hoarse, his throat raw. And then he clenched his eyes shut, whispering "If only…" over and over._

* * *

Elsa opened her eyes to pain. She was lying in her bed, a plethora of stuffed animals littering it and flowers on the nightstand. She was thirsty.

"_Where's daddy?"_ She wondered, afraid that something had happened to him. There was a rope attached to her wrist and she followed it to a bell. Smiling she moved her wrist, wincing a little at the pain, but giggling at the ding.

*Ding*

*Ding, ding*

*Ding, ding, ding, ding*

Elsa managed to loop the rope around her finger and she pulled on it, making the bell ding faster and faster, giggling. She looked up as her daddy and mother entered the room and smiled.

"You're alright daddy!" She whispered, shocked that she couldn't do more.

"Don't strain yourself, Elsa." He answered, brushing her hair away from her face. "Are you hungry and thirsty?"

"Thirsty, daddy." She whispered.

"I'll go get something for you, then." He said, looking to Marie and leaving the room. Marie sat down on the side of the bed and took Elsa's hand in hers.

"You scared us, sweetheart. That was very reckless what you did." Marie said, smiling, but her tone serious.

"Daddy's ok though." Elsa said with a smile.

"Honey… your daddy was never in trouble." Elsa's smile slipped.

"I didn't save him?" She whispered, tears forming._ 'I hurt so bad… I had to have saved him…' _She thought to herself.

"We were teaching you to not fight, to be careful of your battles…" Marie broke into tears as Stein entered the room.

"You lied to us…" Elsa whispered. "You told us never to lie!"

"Honey, we're sorry." Marie said.

"Daddy… you lied…" Stein could see more than just the pain from the injuries in his daughter's eyes. Her parents had just betrayed her trust, and she was devastated. Stein held the straw to her lips and she didn't drink.

"You… lied…" She repeated and turned her head to the side, crying.

"Honey, we didn't lie." Elsa ignored her mother.

"Elsa, we didn't lie to you. You did help Azusa and me. I never told you the problem you were helping us with." Stein said. Elsa looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "It wasn't a lie. You did help us. And you learned not to do something so reckless again, didn't you?"

Elsa stopped crying and just nodded. "Good, now take a drink. Then your mom and I will go downstairs and get your something to eat."

"Mother…" Elsa whispered.

"Yes?" Marie asked as Elsa took a slow sip.

"You're my mother. Not mom." Elsa was so serious that both adults couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

_James rocked in the corner of the room, his arms wrapped around his knees, sobbing. He couldn't turn the light off, but he couldn't bear to look at what he had caused anymore. His imouto was dead. They had taken her away to put her in a coffin. And he was the cause… if only… if only…_

'_I have to be stronger and faster.' He thought to himself. 'I can't let this happen to anyone else ever again. I have to be stronger and faster. If only I had been stronger and faster…' He couldn't stop rocking, his eyes clenched shut as regret and pain bombarded him._

* * *

Marie and Stein sat together on the couch, Marie constantly breaking into small sobs as the tv played some inane show about flowers or unicorns or something. Stein wasn't paying attention. He just held Marie as she cried, eventually calming her enough to get some food into her.

"Did we make a mistake?" She asked suddenly. "I mean, I know we did. But is this the kind that is going to really bite us? What if Elsa hates us now? What if there's nothing we can do to get back her trust?"

Stein tilted her head up so she would look him straight in the eyes. "Marie, we've not lost it. Elsa still trusts us, I promise you."

She snuggled against him, watching the inane show while Stein thought about Elsa's injuries. He had already called her school to inform them that she would be missing a couple weeks. When asked why he had simply said that they were going out of town and that a friend of hers would pick up her homework for her.

He had been surprised when the receptionist had asked if James was going as well. She had been surprised when he asked why he would take another parent's child with him.

* * *

Elsa fell asleep, and to her surprise, dreamt of her special place.

"_James?" She called out, realizing that she had woken up lying on an operating table. Her friend, her onii-chan, was in the corner crying. "James, are you alright?" She winced as she got down off the table, moving to him._

_James froze when he heard her voice, his eyes tightly shut. "It's a trick." He whispered to himself. "I let her get killed." Sobs wracked him again._

"_James, are you alright?" She was right behind him now, and he felt her hand on his shoulder. Looking up he opened his eyes, gasping as he saw Elsa, alive and whole, right beside him._

"_You- you're not dead!" He whispered. Standing he wrapped her in a huge hug, tears of joy sliding down his cheeks._

Two children, miles apart, fell into a deep, contented slumber.

* * *

**A/N: I hope that you enjoy that as much as I enjoyed writing it. I want to thank all of my readers for reading, I love you all!**

**Pop quiz: Elsa's name, like a lot of things in Soul Eater, is a reference. Who shall be the first to figure it out? :)**

**I don't own Soul Eater, but Elsa and James are mine.**


	8. Runaways

Marie stood in the doorway, looking at her daughter. Elsa had spent most of the last four days sleeping. James had come over each day to spend time with her, apparently Spirit and Azusa had followed suit and called the school to let them know that James wouldn't be in for a couple of weeks, going on a trip. The receptionist had just laughed and said, "I didn't think that James would be here without Elsa." Neither set of parents knew quite what to make of it.

Marie thought back to what Spirit and Azusa had told her today, and shook her head. _"I can't believe that James blames himself. He had nothing to do with anything. He's not mad at his parents, he's mad at himself for letting Elsa get hurt. While that's a great quality for a weapon to have he's going to have to realize that sometimes injury is just completely unavoidable… Franken couldn't even keep her from getting injured and he was right there with her." _Marie sighed, and then tensed when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, only relaxing when she realized it was Stein.

"You need to go and get some rest, Marie." He said. "Elsa is fine- she's not going to go anywhere and she's healing quickly. She takes after you like that."

Marie looked into the room, taking in the stuffed animals that covered her bed, the stitches on every available surface and the splashes of yellow that Elsa adored. "At least she gets something from me." She said quietly.

"You don't see your influence when you look into that room, Marie? If Elsa was more like me where would the yellow be? Where would all of those stuffed animals and the hand drawn portraits be? They wouldn't exist, Marie." He wrapped his arms around her. "Elsa is your daughter, too. Even if she is a daddy's girl." He couldn't resist the smirk; Marie couldn't resist the backwards punch into his stomach. She walked off as he slouched to the ground, still smirking.

'_The Pulverizer, indeed.'_ He chuckled, standing and closing the door to Elsa's room.

* * *

"They lied to us, James." Elsa said as they sat under a tree at recess, watching the other children playing. Neither of them had much interest in playing anymore. "Our parents lied to us. Did you know that?"

"What do you mean, Elsa?" James asked, his eyes following a ball that was flying through the air towards them. It got too close to Elsa for comfort and he stood and in one swift movement sent it flying back through the air towards its owner.

"We were supposed to help them with a special mission. It was something that they couldn't do on their own. It was a lie. It was all a trick, James. Daddy says that it wasn't a lie because they never told us exactly what they needed our help for. Really, though, it was all a trick and a lie. They didn't need our help. We got hurt for nothing." Elsa said, looking down at her knees. James looked over at her.

"You know they were doing it for us, though, Elsa." He pushed his glasses up, sighing. "I don't understand parents. They don't want us to fight, so they send us out on a fake mission that will force us to fight just so we can run away? How is that going to teach us anything other than that we have to become stronger and faster? That we have to do something so we won't have to run away from every conflict?"

The younger girl looked up at him, a smile on her face. "That's it, James!"

"What's it?" He asked, obviously confused.

"We run away!" She smiled sweetly. He never could tell her no when she smiled like that, tilting her head to the side. He just sighed.

"How is that going to help anything, Elsa?" He asked. "It's going to get cold when the sun goes down and we'll get hungry before then."

"Because if we run away, then they'll see that we've learned our lesson. Besides, we should be able to count on them to find us, right?" Elsa smiled again.

"This is a stupid idea, Elsa. What if they don't find us before we get hungry? What if they don't notice until bedtime?" James asked, trying to talk sense into her.

"Then we'll know that all they do is lie to us!" She grinned, and the look on her face disturbed James.

"You're going to do this whether I come with you or not, aren't you?" Elsa just smiled, her eyes closed and her head tilted to the side.

Neither of the children noticed a new girl watching them, even though she was just a little ways away from them. She had heard every word.

* * *

School let out, and Spirit and Stein's cars were the only ones left on the street. Getting out of the car, Spirit stood in front of it, and waved at Stein. Stein exited his vehicle, stretching his long legs as he lit another cigarette and walked over.

"So, I didn't see Elsa come out." Spirit said when he got closer.

"And I haven't seen James, either, Senpai." Stein took a long drag on the cigarette and smirked when he saw the quiver of Spirit's lip. "Azusa hide them again?" He asked as he tossed Spirit the pack.

"And took my wallet. Only damn thing she left me was my driver's license." He tapped out a cigarette, catching the lighter that Stein threw him and lit it, then slipped the lighter into the pack and tossed it back. "She's going to be the death of me."

"So, where do you think they are, Spirit?" Spirit took a deep drag of his cigarette before answering.

"Knowing them, probably the library. Hopefully, the library."

"They're later than normal this time. Even for being in the library." Stein felt a knot of something growing in his stomach. Dropping the fresh cigarette he ground it out beneath his heel and turned to walk into the school. Spirit sighed, looking at the barely smoke cigarette, his first in three days. He shifted just a finger into a blade and ground the cigarette out against it, tucking it into his suit jacket, and followed Stein into the school.

Both men knew the way to the library, and the school staff was used to seeing them, so no one said a word, though a couple of the more timid staff members ducked into classrooms or other hallways when Stein came striding through the halls. In short order they arrived at the library and Stein grabbed the door handle to open it.

It was locked.

Stein just looked at Spirit, who shrugged. "If they're not here, then where would they be?" Spirit asked.

"I don't know, Senpai." Stein turned on his heel, brushing past Spirit and made his way towards the principal's office.

It was also empty, the principal and most of the staff having already left. The two men looked at each other and walked out of the school, looking around the playground and surrounding area. After an hour of searching they met back up and shared a look.

"They've been kidnapped." Spirit said.

"I doubt that." Stein said, lighting another cigarette.

"Why's that?"

"You've not seen them together in combat, Spirit, and there's no way your son would let anyone lay a hand on my daughter. They only way they were kidnapped would be if they had been separated."

"Then you're suggesting that…"

"Yes, that they ran away."

"But… why? And where?" Spirit tore his gaze away from Stein's cigarette, sighing. Stein couldn't help but chuckle.

'_Death, but I enjoy doing that to Spirit.'_ He thought as he tossed lighter and cigarettes to Spirit. "Where would you run if you were there age, Spirit? Where is the closest place that they could get to and have shelter? Where is one of the biggest places they could go to, find food and water at?"

Spirit lit a cigarette and passed it back. "Thanks, Stein." He mumbled around the cigarette and looked up into the sky. He thought about Stein's question for a few minutes and then it clicked.

"The DWMA."

"Exactly."

The two men got into their vehicles and drove that way.

* * *

The DWMA was quiet. Classes were over for the day, and most, if not all, of the students and teachers had gone to their respective homes for the day. James and Azusa had had no trouble sneaking in the front door, and then finding their way to the library. They both grabbed a few books and sat underneath one of the tables, reading in peaceful silence until Elsa's stomach rumbled.

"Here," James said, holding something out to her.

Elsa blinked. It was a candy bar. "Where-?" She started to ask but he interrupted her.

"You told me about your plan before lunch. I took my lunch money, got lunch, and then bought some candy bars so we'd have something until our parents found us. And you know they're going to, Elsa. We're going to get into trouble because of this." James smiled. "Besides, I know that you love the ones that have the pretzels and peanuts in them."

She grinned and opened it. "I do!" She giggled as she bit into it, diving back into her book. _"My story begins in the twelfth century…"_ She began reading to herself. The two children sat in companionable silence reading until they heard the door to the library open and they both froze.

"Elsa."

"James."

"I know you're in here." Stein and Spirit said together.

James crawled out from under the table, whispering under his breath, "I told you they'd find us before it was even dinner time, Elsa." He sighed as Elsa bolted out from under the table and scrambled up the stairs that were just a few steps away.

"Elsa!" Her father's voice rang out. Elsa's steps faltered, but just for an instant and she made it up the stairs. His longer legged stride caught up to her before she could make it to the third story. He slowed as he caught up with her, "Elsa, why are you running?"

Her answer caused him to stop dead. "Because you lied to me!" She practically screamed. "I got hurt because you lied to me and James! You never even apologized! How can I know if anything you say anymore is the truth?"

James' voice came from below her, Spirit standing with his hand on James' shoulder. "Because he's your dad and he loves you, Elsa." Stein just looked down at the boy a good twenty feet below him.

"This was your idea, wasn't it, Elsa?" He asked.

She didn't answer right away; she just fidgeted, scuffing her feet together. She took a deep breath. "It was my idea daddy."

"Elsa, why?" He asked, stepping towards her.

"Because you lied to me and if we ran away then we'd get to see if you'd lied to us about anything else; because if you came to find us it meant that you didn't." It was a child's logic.

She took a step back as he walked towards her. Her shoe hit a loose book and she stumbled, hitting the railing that went along the second and third level of the library. With a groan it broke against her weight and she plummeted. James screamed and Spirit rushed to catch the little girl. Stein was faster, diving over the edge, pulling his daughter into his arms and turning to take the impact of the fall. He landed hard, the breath knocked out of him, Elsa cradled to his chest. His glasses had broken and he could taste blood in his mouth, but that all seemed unimportant as his eyes focused on his daughter and he could see the madness sparking around her soul. She was giggling.

"_I knew I could trust you, daddy."_ She whispered before standing up and smiling over at James who just sighed.

"It was still a stupid plan, Elsa." He said quietly.

Both adults looked at each other. "Plan?" Spirit asked, extending his hand to help Stein to his feet.

Elsa giggled as she scuffed her shoes together. James just hung his head. Stein wiped the trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"I knew we could trust you." She repeated. "One of you would catch me."

Spirit ran his hand across his face, angry. Stein reached up and twirled the screw in his head, cranking it multiple times.

"You-"

"two-"

"are-"

"grounded." Both men looked at each other.

"Let's go, James." Spirit said, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Stein needs some time with Elsa and I need to speak with you." James just hung his head and followed his father.

"Elsa." The little girl looked up at her father, tilting her head and smiling.

"I figured it out, daddy. Why you did what you did."

"And why is that?" He asked, wiping the back of his hand onto his lab coat. _"Marie is going to kill me over that blood. At least that stain will come out easier than the last."_

"That's a stupid question, father." Stein looked closely at his daughter's suddenly very serious face. "You did it because you love me and want me happy. You did it because you want me to be smart enough to take care of myself, but to learn that I should also rely on other people, because to not do so is a weakness as well. You wanted me to realize my limitations, and when to seek help." The grown up façade dissolved and she collapsed into giggles.

"That's silly, daddy." She said. "It's because you love me and James." Elsa smiled, tilting her head to the side, and reached out for his hand. "I forgive you!" She said happily.

* * *

"Alright, James. Explain to me exactly what happened." Spirit said, all of the warmth and kindness that he normally showed his son gone, his tone serious.

"Elsa wanted to run away. I told her it was a stupid idea, but she was going to go with or without me, so I talked her into going to the DWMA. Once we got there she wanted to find a way to test her father like we were tricked… so she read a way to weaken the railing so she'd fall. She even had me catch her a couple times just in case she was wrong and neither of you would catch her. I told her it was a stupid idea, but she was quite set on it." James said quietly.

"What about you, James? How do you feel about what happened?" Spirit made a left hand turn onto a small side street.

"I… I think that Elsa was reckless… she should have gone for help like she had promised." He hesitated.

"You could have left her and gone for help on your own." Spirit said. He couldn't make out what James muttered. "I didn't hear you, James."

"It's… it's a weapon's job to look after their meister." James voice was barely louder, but Spirit could hear it. He felt a surge of pride and just smiled.

"Yes, James, it is."

* * *

Marie wrapped her arms around Elsa, sobbing. She muttered incoherent words into her daughter's hair, smashing her to her chest.

"Mmhphm…" Elsa mumbled.

Marie held her out at arm's length. "What, sweetheart?"

"I couldn't breathe!" Elsa giggled. Marie just wrapped her into another huge hug.

"Don't ever scare us like that again!" She said seriously.

"I won't!" Elsa looked over at her daddy. "I promise."

* * *

Elsa stood outside the door of her father's lab, and placed a hand on the lock. She'd practiced this for weeks, and took a deep breath to calm herself. Concentrating as hard as she could, she let just a little bit of her wavelength flow into the lock, giggling as the door popped open. She knew right where her scalpel was. She grabbed it, walking out of the lab, and pulled the door shut behind her.

She had already proved that daddy didn't always lie to her, that he loved her. Now she would prove that mother did too. She stepped outside, and closed the door quietly behind her.

* * *

_James opened his eyes, sitting in that room again, the bare bulb illuminating the now empty operating table. As he watched, Elsa walked into the room carrying something. He couldn't tell what it was, but it was struggling feebly. She moved past him, not acknowledging him, and strapped the squirming thing to the table, her body obscuring whatever she was doing._

"_Elsa?" He called out, reaching for her shoulder. "Imouto, what are you doing?"_

_She grinned sadistically over her shoulder at him. "Onii-chan, I would look away if I were you. Mother's present is almost ready."_

_He looked over her shoulder, ignoring her warning. On the table lay a silver-haired little baby, his green eyes open and staring. James saw the scalpel in Elsa's hand too late as it descended on the child's still body._

Marie sat up with a scream, her hands clasping her stomach.

* * *

**A/N: Did you enjoy it? I enjoyed writing it… but it felt, odd to me. Oh well, it's done now and I hope that all of you reading it enjoyed it! Love you all, thanks for the reviews and PMs!**

**And the one person who's figured out Elsa's names was sweetsheart :)  
**

**I don't own Soul Eater; but Elsa and James are mine :3**


	9. A Chance Encounter

Stein bolted upright in bed, reaching for Marie before he was even awake himself, pulling her into his arms and quieting her sobs before he even opened his eyes to look around the room. Stifling the yawn that was growing Stein smoothed Marie's hair, pulling her close to him, letting her sobs trail off before he said a word. Eventually she grew quiet.

"Marie?" He asked gently, pushing the hair out of her eyes, cupping her chin so that she would look up at him. He could never have anticipated her reaction.

His hair, his eyes, the shape of his mouth. It was all the same. Every bit of it was the same as the child's in her dream. She realized then that the boy had her nose. She burst into tears, pushing him away from her, curling into herself, sobbing.

"Marie?" Concern laced Stein's voice, and he touched her shoulder, starting to roll her back over so that he could see her. She flinched, her tears coming harder and pulled away from him. "Marie, what's wrong?"

"_It was just a dream… a nightmare…" _She whispered, more to herself than to him. _"It didn't happen."_

"Marie." He took ahold of her shoulder, turning her to face him, pulling her up into his arms. "Marie, tell me what happened." She pushed her face against his chest, her body trembling as she fought the sobs that were wracking her body.

Hesitantly she started whispering. The nightmare made his soul shiver, especially when Marie told him that the child on the table looked like their son would have if they could have had one. She finally fell asleep against his chest, whimpering in her dreams as Stein sat there, soothing her. He closed his eyes, focusing for a moment before staring down at his wife, looking at her soul. He smiled when he saw the stitching on it; it was a little different than it had been all those years ago, but it would be disturbing if it wasn't.

He looked into the mirror, seeing his own soul reflected there in, shaking his head at the screw and stitches that covered it. Turning his head he looked into Elsa's room and realized that he didn't see anything. Carefully laying Marie back against the bed he stepped out of their room and into Elsa's. Her shoes were missing from beside her bed, and so was her jacket. Moving quickly Stein found the open lab door and the front entrance to the lab also open. Shaking his head he stepped out into the dark night, not bothering to change from the pajama bottoms that were all that he was wearing.

* * *

James tossed and turned, the image of Elsa stabbing a scalpel down into the baby that looked so much like her seared into his mind. He couldn't wake up from the dream though, unlike Marie.

_James grabbed Elsa's hand just as the scalpel descended to the infant, pushing it away from the still child. "Elsa, what are you doing?!" He demanded._

"_I'm making mother a present." She said sweetly, smiling and tilting her head. "Please don't stop me again, James. You're my onii-chan, but I have to do something for mother right now." She raised the scalpel up again and then, before he could stop her, sliced through the baby's chest. James' breath caught in his throat, and he had to keep himself from screaming as bright blood welled up._

_He couldn't watch. He couldn't let Elsa do this. He rushed at her, grabbing her about the waist, and tried to pull her to the ground. She was strong. Stronger than she had any right to be. She flung James like a rag doll, and he slammed hard against the wall. James whimpered, collapsed in the corner, his breathing hard and ragged._

_Elsa simply returned to her task. James watched all of it, unable to move even to look away. Even closing his eyes made no difference; he could still see the terrible scene unfolding. After Elsa had finished she looked over at him, smiling that sweet smile again as she placed discarded pieces into a large gray bin._

"_That wasn't so hard was it, onii-chan?" She asked, stepping to kneel in front of him. The scent of blood that wafted off of her, coupled with the sight of it made James vomit on the floor between them. Elsa just laughed, flicking the scalpel out and at his throat._

* * *

Stein walked slowly, trying to figure out where his daughter would have gone, his mind running through all of the conversations that they had had in the last couple of weeks. He reached up and turned the screw, so intent on wondering where his daughter was that he never noticed that he was being followed. Greyish-purple eyes followed him, and their owner darted back into the shadows whenever he looked anywhere near. He was going the wrong way. The little one that lived with him had walked the other direction almost an hour ago, towards the wood line, away from the city.

But how could he know that? The eyes closed briefly, and a small fire burst on the ground in front of the obviously surprised meister. It burned away quickly and Stein was left looking down at the words left scorched on the ground.

"**Wrong way. The little one is the other way."**

The eyes closed when he looked that way, as if they could hide from him simply by not being able to see him. His eyes brushed over them, and he turned, heading the opposite direction. The eyes slowly reopened and followed him, staying well back, curiosity over the missing little one overriding caution only to a degree.

Stein turned and walked the opposite direction after the incident with the fire, his soul perception at maximum focus. He only sensed one soul near him, a powerful soul that he didn't want to fight at this particular moment. However, thankfully, it didn't seem hostile, though it was following him at a far distance. He shook his head, ignoring it, watching for any sign of his daughter.

He found her, curled up at the base of a tree, her scalpel bloody and a small rabbit in shreds at her feet. Stein smirked, realizing what she had been her doing. Elsa had dissected the rabbit, yes, taking great care in what she was doing. She had preserved the outer layer of skin along with the fur, and had used the inside pieces to write "Mother" along the soft patches of interior muscle that lined the skin.

"_She makes me choose between my own safety and hers to prove that I wasn't lying about anything, and now she's making Marie choose whether or not she'll keep her promise about accepting Elsa as she is." _He chuckled, bending down to pick up his daughter when he heard the low laugh from behind him.

Turning with his daughter in his arms he was facing a black panther. The animal stretched, strong muscles arching underneath its skin. "Soooo…" It purred. "You're him, aren't you?" It paced around him. "You're THE Franken Stein. Quite the specimen…" It stepped close enough to rub up against his legs, almost like a large house cat.

"I know what you are. You can drop the Soul Protect." The panther looked up at him, its eyes a piercing violet. Stein just shifted his sleeping child in his arms, hoping she would keep sleeping and not wake. The panther butted his hand, pushing his hand over its ears.

"You're no fun." It said. "I bet if that kitten wasn't here, you'd be more fun." It made a lunge for Elsa, Stein moving back just in time. The movement jostled Elsa, who opened her eyes.

"Daddy?"

"Elsa, keep your eyes closed!" He ordered, moving her against his side, his left hand glowing with soul menace. Elsa's eyes snapped close, and she buried her head against her father's shoulder. "How about you let me scratch your ears now, Witch?" Elsa made a strangled noise against his shoulder and he felt tears fall onto his skin as she tensed. He tightened his arm against her.

Greyish-purple eyes watched the events unfold.

"Kemnebi." The panther said quietly. "I know your name; you may as well know mine, Franken Stein."

"Witch Kemnebi then. I can't imagine that meeting me was the meaning of your visit to Death City. Might I suggest you leave while I'm generous enough to allow it?" Stein's grin was sadistic.

"A shame that I can't." The cat shifted and tall, darkly beautiful Egyptian woman was left standing in its place. "Soul Protect, Release." She smiled. "You may not be why I'm here, but if I can take you down and get that kitten of yours, I'll have more than enough reputation for anything."

The witch charged, angling her attack not against Stein but against Elsa. Stein was fast, but the witch was faster, and left a set of three claw marks down his side. Elsa pushed against her father's arm, all too aware that she was just a burden to him. He held her tight; ordering her to keep her eyes closed and not squirm.

Greyish-purple eyes closed in terror.

Elsa screamed, her daddy taking yet another blow that was meant for her, blood running down his side and over her legs before pooling onto the ground.

*huff*

*huff huff*

Her daddy was already breathing hard. She struggled again when she felt him lurch backwards, managing to free herself and hit the ground; only to scream again as something hard and sharp caught her leg, but she was free, her eyes flying open and she darted away. "Elsa!" Her daddy's voice yelled, but he was forced to dodge back and then the witch was between him and her.

"Don't worry, _Doctor_ Stein." The witch twisted the word, grinning. "I'll take care of your kitten just as if she was one of my own once you're gone."

Greyish-purple eyes watched the little one flee, her father desperately fighting against a witch.

*huff huff*

Stein's face twisted into a sadistic grin. He felt himself slipping towards the madness, but didn't care. This witch was threatening to take his daughter as hers. He reached up and turned the screw, his glasses forgotten on the ground.

"Witch Kemnebi, I'm going to dissect you now." His voice rose into a maniacal chuckle as he dove towards her, both hands glowing with Soul Menace. The witch was fast, but this time, surprise dulled her reflexes. "Double palm Soul Force!" He shouted, catching her straight in the chest, and flinging her back two dozen feet.

Surprisingly, she landed on her feet, albeit coughing blood. Her hands moving up in front of her to weave a spell. Stein charged again as she vanished, his hand moving through the area where she had just been. She was gone.

Greyish-purple eyes watched in relief as the wounded meister limped over to where his daughter sat huddled under a bush and wrapped his arms around her, letting her sob against his shoulder as he unsteadily picked her up and started to walk home. Memories welled up for the greyish-purple eyes, but were quickly blocked out.

* * *

Marie was awake, sitting on the steps of the lab when Stein stumbled into view, carrying Elsa piggy back. Elsa was asleep on his back, whether from exhaustion or terror he wasn't sure.

"Franken!" Marie screamed out as she saw them approach, the moonlight clearly illuminating the rips in his skin, the blood on his sleep pants and chest. She ran to him, taking Elsa from him and then helped support him when he nearly collapsed.

"Marie, I need you to do something." He said once they made it into the lab. "My hands aren't steady enough. I need you to set an IV for me." The death scythe paled, but nodded. She fetched everything that he asked for, and with him nearly unconscious slipped the needle into his arm and got the IV dripping. He was unconscious shortly thereafter.

Marie looked at Elsa's leg, and realized that it was nowhere near as bad it looked- most of the blood on her legs appeared to be Stein's. She cleaned it off and wrapped gauze around it.

Elsa's voice was small and she clung to her mother's leg, looking up at the operating table her father was laying on as Marie placed gauze over the larger cuts. She could stitch the smaller ones, Stein had shown her how to do that years ago, but the larger ones he would have to deal with when he woke up.

"Mother… it's all my fault…" She hiccupped as tried to keep from crying. "If I had never left he wouldn't have had to come find me and then he wouldn't have gotten hurt…" Her next words froze Marie's heart. "Daddy's going to die because of me…"

Marie knelt down and put her hands on Elsa's shoulders like Stein would. "Listen to me, Elsa. You love your daddy, don't you?" Elsa nodded, tears in her eyes. "Then what you have to do is believe that he'll be ok. Your daddy loves you too and he'd never leave you alone." Elsa nodded again.

"You too, mother?" She asked quietly.

"I promise you, Elsa." She said.

* * *

_James screamed as Elsa's scalpel dove towards his throat. With a single slice he could feel the blood flowing from the wound, and he could no long scream. It only took moments for James to realize that she had actually slit his throat and severed his vocal cords. And that she was giggling. She had used her finger to scoop some of the blood up and was giggling. He tried desperately to scream, his life flowing out of him as she made more incisions across his chest and stomach._

_As he fell to the ground, his head rolled to the side and he was face to face with a rabbit. It looked at him oddly, then fell over, tore to shreds, the wounds matching the ones that he had._

James sat up, screaming.

* * *

Stein opened his eyes to the light of noon or so steaming through the small window in the lab. Marie and Elsa sat, asleep, on the sofa that they had obviously drug into the lab from the sitting area. Stein could see gauze covering the lower part of Elsa's leg and as he ran his hands over his chest and abdomen he could feel the tightness of new healing, stitching, and gauze covering it. He smiled slightly as he looked over at Marie.

"_And she thought that she would never need to know how to do this." _He thought smugly. _" 'I married a doctor!' "_ He chuckled.

Marie opened her eyes at the sound, and was at his side in a second. "Franken, how are you feeling? What can I do?"

He didn't answer, just reached up and took her hand in his, pulling the palm of it to his lips to kiss. "Thank you, Marie." He used the other hand to touch fresh stitching on his side. "I'm sorry that you had to do this." Tears fell onto his chest.

"You know I wouldn't let you just suffer, even with whatever medicine was in that IV." He closed his eyes, still tired from the painkillers that had been part of the cocktail Marie had prepared for him.

"I know, Marie." He opened his eyes when he felt her press her lips against his. "Help me sit up, please." He said quietly, wincing as she did so.

He peeled the gauze away, checking the wound for signs of infection and saw none. Standing unsteadily he leaned on Marie and walked to his desk to grab some local anesthesia. "I'm going to stitch the ones you didn't, Marie, if you want to go." He chuckled slightly as she shuddered, but refused to move from his side. Sitting down heavily he injected the anesthesia, quickly suturing the remaining cuts.

He looked up and Elsa, who was still asleep. "How was her leg? Did it need stitches?"

"It looks like it was just a glancing blow." Marie looked at Elsa, sighing. "Why was she out there, Franken? Why did she even leave?"

Stein almost lied to her. He almost spared her, but the words were out before he could stop them. "For you, Marie. When she ran away the first time it was to test me. This time she went out to find something to dissect to give to you to test you."

Marie looked mortified. "Me? I'm the reason?" Tears slipped down her cheeks. "Oh, Death…"

* * *

**A/N: After much deletion and restarting you have the finished product! I hope that you enjoy it; I know I loved writing this section :) Thanks again for all the reviews and PMs! I'm glad to see that so many people are enjoying this fic :)  
**

**I don't own Soul Eater, or the individual with greyish-purple eyes. That individual belongs to Fall-chan. However, Elsa and James are still my babies :D**


	10. Acceptance

Azusa rushed into James' room, with Spirit just a step behind her. "James, what's wrong?" Azusa asked as Spirit looked around the room, a scythe blade extended from his arm.

James didn't answer; he just wrapped his arms around his knees and started rocking back and forth.

"James?" Spirit asked moving over to the bed, touching his son's shoulder.

James didn't react to the touch, tears streaming down his cheeks as he rocked. Azusa slid into the bed and wrapped her arms around their son, looking at Spirit worriedly. James' eyes didn't focus on anything; they just stared off into space. The two parents were at a loss.

"Do you want me to call Stein?" Spirit finally asked, when it became apparent that James wasn't going to just snap out of whatever had happened. Azusa just nodded.

Neither Marie nor Stein answered when they called.

Spirit glared at the phone, as if he could force them to answer by sheer willpower alone. He tried calling a second time, but the same thing happened; voice mail after half a dozen rings. Coming back to James' room he was relieved to find James asleep again.

"Did he ever say what happened, Azusa?" Spirit asked, helping her lay James back into his bed.

"All he said was that he had to help Elsa, and then he fell asleep." Azusa said, looking down. "It sounded like he thought she was in real trouble."

Spirit just shook his head. "How could Elsa be in real trouble? You know who her parents are." He chuckled half-heartedly. He didn't tell her that Stein hadn't answered, and went to bed feeling guilty for not checking again.

* * *

Marie hit her knees, tears in her eyes. Stein cursed himself. _'You couldn't just lie?'_ He thought bitterly.

"It's my fault then that you and her are hurt…" Marie said miserably.

"No." Stein reached down, hooking a hand under her arm and pulling her up and to him. "Marie, it's that witch's fault that we're hurt, not yours. Besides, if Elsa hadn't gone out we wouldn't know that there's a witch hiding in Death City."

His words fell on deaf ears as she collapsed against him, sobbing quietly. Stein winced at the pressure on the fresh wounds but didn't say anything, just holding her until she was done. _'This is becoming an everyday occurrence.'_ He thought wryly.

"If you're done, Marie, I need to check on Elsa's wound now." She just nodded, standing up and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Stein moved over to his still sleeping daughter and pulled away the gauze that Marie had used the night before. The wound had been cleaned properly and he couldn't help but chuckle at how adept Marie actually was at patching wounds up now.

"I'd hit you if you weren't so hurt." She said from behind him. "I know you were just thinking about how I didn't want to learn and now I'm half-way decent at patching up." He just smirked, replacing the gauze on Elsa's leg as she woke up.

"Daddy?" She whispered. He smiled at her, and she burst into tears, throwing her small arms around his neck.

'_What is with the women of this family and bursting into tears at nothing?'_ He thought to himself, chuckling. "I'm fine, Elsa." He told her, hugging her back.

* * *

James woke up the next day trembling. He was terrified of the shadows that lurked in his room, each one of them seeming to hold a dismembered child. He shook his head, trying to dispel the dream… no, the nightmare, that had plagued him last night and couldn't.

'_I can't believe that Elsa would do that to anything…' _He thought to himself once he finally worked up the courage to get out of bed, quickly flipping on the light, shuddering at the shadows.

"James?" He looked up from getting dressed as his dad walked into the room. "You alright? Seems like you had a bad nightmare last night. You wouldn't tell us about it."

James hesitated. _'Do I tell him? What if it was more than a nightmare?' _He just nodded to his dad. "It was a bad one, but it was just a nightmare." He put on his bravest face.

"Want to tell me about it? That helps to make sure that you don't have the same one again."

James just shook his head. "I'll be alright, dad. I'd rather not. Can I go over to Elsa's today?" James desperately wanted to check on her, something had been nagging at him since he woke up.

"I'll call and ask her mom and dad if you can, James. By the way, we're going to be having a visitor come and stay with us starting next Monday. You're going to have to be nice to her, alright?"

James looked up at his father. "Who?"

"Someone we're going to take in for a while, until Lord Death finds her a permanent home. I'm sure that she'd prefer to introduce herself to you." Spirit smiled, though James could see the hesitation in his eyes. "That gives you the next two days to put up any of your toys and things that you don't want to share!"

"It's a kid?" James asked, wide eyed; his fear momentarily forgotten.

"Yeah." Spirit smiled as he left, leaving James to wonder about their house guest as he called Stein.

* * *

Stein answered himself on the fourth ring. "What is it, Spirit?" He answered instead of hello.

"Nice to talk to you too, Stein. James wants to know if he can come over and play with Elsa today. I told him it was up to you and Marie. I think he's worried that something happened to Elsa last night." Spirit said in a rush.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Stein?"

"Bring him on over, Spirit." Stein said simply and hung up.

"What's going on, Stein?" Marie asked, looking up from the simple lunch/breakfast she was preparing.

"Spirit's going to be bringing James over. He said that James was worried about Elsa, convinced that something had happened to her last night." Marie looked at him, uncertainty on her features. "I don't know how he would know that, Marie. None of us have left the lab since it all happened, and we haven't talked to anyone." Curious, Stein focused his Soul Perception, not feeling anything unusual.

"Well, what are we going to tell them about her wound then? And yours?"

"The truth, Marie. She was in trouble last night. We both were. Then we try to find out how James of all people would know that." Marie nodded, trusting Stein and went back to slicing vegetables.

* * *

*knock, knock*

"I've told you half a dozen times that you two don't have to knock!" Marie's voice flowed through the door, laughing. She opened it anyway, embracing Azusa as they came in.

"Where's Elsa?" James asked suddenly, his eyes wide as he looked around for her.

"She's in the lab with her dad, James."

James paled and took a step back. Marie looked at him, her forehead furrowing. "What's wrong, James?"

James answered before he could think to stop himself. "She's… she's not taking something apart is she?" His voice was tinged deeply with fear. Marie and Azusa gasped.

Spirit dropped to his knees beside James. "What would make you ask something like that, James?"

"I… I…" James shook his head. "I'm sorry…" He looked down at the ground.

"James, answer me." Spirit's usually soft voice now held that parental tone.

"Because I dreamed it last night!" Tears fell from his eyes. "She cut up a little baby that looked like it could have been her brother!" He shook his head as if trying to dispel the image, his hand balled into fists.

Marie's cup fell from her hand, shattering on the floor. One hand covered her mouth, her eye wide. Stein stepped out of the lab at the sound of the broken glass with Elsa behind him.

James looked up at her, and saw the bandaged gash on her leg; the scalpel sticking out of her dress pocket that she hadn't bothered to leave behind. His eyes rolled up in his head, and he pitched forward to the floor.

Marie stood there shaking as Spirit picked James up and Stein waved him into the lab; having Spirit lay the boy on an operating table. "Marie?" Her eyes focused on Azusa and she couldn't form words, though she desperately tried to.

Tears fell as she relived the nightmare. Azusa stood there awkwardly, and then looking towards the lab and her son, she pulled Marie into a hug. _"It was the same dream."_ She finally whispered through the tears. Grabbing Azusa's shoulders she looked right into her eyes. "James and I had the same dream."

Azusa's eyes just widened, and both women looked towards the lab.

* * *

Elsa stood beside the table that James laid on, concern on her face. _'Why did he go all pale like that when he saw me?' _She let out a long sigh. "Daddy, is he alright?" She asked.

Stein looked over at his daughter. "He fainted, Elsa. He should wake up soon, I'm sure that it's nothing serious."

Spirit looked around the lab, moving to stand by Stein and his computer. _"Stein, why does Elsa have a scalpel?"_ He whispered, hoping that she wouldn't hear him.

Stein looked up and didn't even bother lowering his voice. "She asked for one, Senpai. She's had it since she was five." Elsa smiled at them, removing the scalpel from her pocket and sitting it on the table beside James.

Spirit felt a surge of fear wash over him. _'What do I do if she's like Stein and decides to cut James up?' _He thought suddenly. _'I can't stop Stein, and I've seen her reflexes… I don't think I'd be fast enough to stop it.'_

It was like Stein could sense what was bothering Spirit. "Elsa, bring me your scalpel."

"Alright, daddy." She obediently brought the sharp instrument over to Stein, who placed it in a desk drawer and locked it. He just glanced up at Spirit before going back to whatever notes he was typing. The movement had exposed the bandaging on his shoulder, though.

"Stein, you decide to see what the inside of your shoulder looks like this time?" Spirit asked, trying half-heartedly to joke.

"No." Stein stood and turned to Spirit removing his lab coat and shirt. Spirit blushed at how Stein had just stripped to the waist, but any embarrassment was forgotten immediately as he looked at the lines of stitches on Stein's chest and abdomen.

"What the hell?" He muttered. "Those are… new." He added.

"There's a witch loose, Senpai. We encountered her last night." He tugged his shirt back on. "Those are the aftermath of what she did to me, the wound on Elsa's leg was also caused by her."

Spirit looked at his son, realization dawning. "I heard what Marie said to Azusa- that she and James had had the same dream. What if the witch had something to do with it?"

"She seemed quite powerful, so that's a definite possibility." Stein slipped his lab coat back on just as they heard Elsa.

"James, don't sit up, you might get dizzy." James turned his head to look at Elsa, and she could see it in his soul. He was terrified of her. He was afraid of what she had done in the nightmare.

She started sobbing, fleeing from the lab as James watched. He called out after her, but nearly fell when he tried to sit up. Stein just looked at Spirit. "I think it's best if you take James home now."

* * *

Marie sat beside Elsa on her bed as the little girl sobbed. "Honey, tell me what happened that has you so upset." Marie said gently, rubbing the little girl's back.

"He… he… James is afraid of me now!" The little girl sobbed. "He's scared of me!"

"Of course he's not, Elsa. He's not afraid of you; he's still your friend." Marie comforted her.

"I saw it, mother… he's terrified of me because of what I did…" She hiccupped into her sobs. "He had the nightmare you did, and even though I didn't do that, he's still afraid of me now!" She sobbed.

Marie sat with her until the little girl had cried herself to sleep. She just shook her head.

* * *

Greyish-purple eyes watched the comings and goings from the strange stitched building, hoping to see the little one from the previous night, but afraid to at the same time. They watched as a new little one entered and came out, along with a black haired woman and red-headed man that the eyes recognized. The owner's body shuddered as memories overwhelmed that she couldn't fight down.

_Greyish-purple eyes watched as the woman who had raised her for as long as she could remember laughed. Someone she had never seen before stood in front of her foster mother, a gun of some sort aimed at her chest. Her foster father held her against his chest, her neck craned at an unnatural angle trying to watch what was going on. _

"_Sylvia, don't watch." He whispered. "You don't want to see what they're going to have to do."_

_She couldn't look away. As she watched the man fired the gun, and her foster mother, her normal unassuming foster mother, did a backflip, completely missing the shot fired. The red-headed man cursed, dashing backwards before disappearing in a flash of light, another flash of light bursting from the gun. Suddenly a black-haired woman stood there, holding a strange, cross-shaped weapon. She swung, catching the child's foster mother in the stomach._

_Before her foster mother could react again, the two switched places again, the gun firing, blood spraying from her foster mother's mouth. Sylvia screamed, covering her eyes. The man looked over at her, shock on his face when he saw her. It was the opening that her foster mother needed. The gun woman took the hit, standing in front of the man, being knocked back into him, blood running down her arm from the gash she had taken from the other woman's nails._

"_Spirit!" She hissed through the pain. "This is taking too long!"_

"_I know, Azusa." He looked over at the girl again. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, blades sprouting from his arms as he charged her foster mother. The witch couldn't react fast enough, his blades springing through her back. Sylvia watched as her foster mother convulsed a couple of times, her body dissolving until only a purple soul hung in the air._

_The man handed the soul to the woman that was with him then walked over to the child and her foster father. "I'm truly sorry." He handed the man a card. "If either of you ever need anything, contact the DWMA. I'm Spirit. We'll do our best to help you. I'm sorry for your loss." There was pain in the man's eyes as he looked down at her. "I'm very sorry." He whispered as he stood and walked away with the black haired woman._

_Tears in her eyes, the child looked up at her foster father. "Why… why did those people have to kill mother?"_

_He sighed as he watched the two weapons walk away from him and his daughter. "Syl, your mother was a witch. They had to."_

"_But why now? Why not before?" She asked, her greyish-purple eyes looking centuries older than the body they were looking out of._

_Her foster father looked down at her, sadness penetrating his being. "Sylvia, your mother changed for us. She gave up everything that she was, but she could never get away from being a witch. Witches take an innocent human's soul for its power and she finally couldn't resist." He closed his eyes briefly. "Syl, she would have killed both of us if not for those two people. They saved both our lives today. You owe them a thank you if you ever see them again."_

_Sylvia nodded against his chest, understanding but not wanting to. She brushed the fringe of black hair away from her eyes, trying not to cry, and gave into the darkness that crept at the field of her vision._

Tears flowed down Sylvia's cheeks, and she watched the pair until they were out of sight. Suddenly afraid to not be safe in her room the girl took a few running steps, wings spreading from her back as her form shifted, and a small, limbless black dragon took to the air, steaks of moisture on its cheeks as it flew back to the safety of the DWMA.

* * *

James sat in his room, every book he owned open on his bed, and he was reading them all. He would read a sentence of one, and then switch books. Sometimes it made sense, sometimes it didn't. He was trying to clear his mind, to forget the way that Elsa had ran from him, but he couldn't. Night fell and his parents came in to tell him to go to bed, and he begged them to let him leave the light on. They agreed.

He lay in bed, his books piled carefully beside it, an idea forming in his mind. _'I have to apologize to Elsa.'_ He thought with clarity. _'It's not far away. I know the way; I can be there and back before anyone even notices that I'm gone.'_

He laughed to himself as he got dressed. _'This is something that Elsa would do, not me.' _He thought seriously as he slipped out his window, dropping easily to the ground. _'Which is why I have to do it.'_

It took the boy almost thirty minutes to reach the Patchwork Lab that Elsa and her family called home. He nearly lost his nerve, but he slipped up to the door, Marie's words ringing in his ears, "I've told you half a dozen times that you two don't have to knock!" and he opened it quietly, stepping into the dark lab.

He knew where Elsa's room was, and he crept up the stairs silent as could be. He opened her door and slipped into her room.

"Elsa?" He called out quietly, standing near the door. "Elsa?"

She woke up almost immediately. "James, is that you?"

"I'm sorry, Elsa..." He said quietly.

"You came all the way here just to tell me that?" He could see that sweet smile in the light from the window.

"I had to. I'm sorry." He walked over and sat down on her bed and she scooted over. He hesitated, then kicked off his shoes and lay down beside her, neither child concerned with what it looked like. They talked for a long time, James' fear intensifying when she shared her secret with him, but he fought it down and reminded himself that this was his imouto, not a monster. He simply accepted it as only a child could.

They fell asleep together, Elsa's arms folded against his chest, his cheek on the top of her head.

Marie found them in the morning, and laughed as she woke Stein to show him before calling Azusa and Spirit.

* * *

**A/N: First things first- I don't own Soul Eater. Sylvia is Fall-chan's not mine. However, James and Elsa are mine :D I suppose that witch is too o.O**

**I hope that you enjoy this installment.**

**To my guest poster cjsylvester- I wanted to, dearly wanted to, give Elsa a pet dog. However… I didn't feel that a pet like that would last long around the Stein household. 0;-)**

**Eivexst-kun, Fall-chan, Greek, Boob, War, thanks for the reviews! Also- I thank all of you who tell me what you think in PMs :D Both ways make my day!**

**Love you all!**


	11. Confrontation

The four parents stood in the doorway of Elsa's room, looking at the two still sleeping children.

"_How did he get here?" _Stein asked in a hushed voice.

"_He must have walked."_ Spirit answered. _"We didn't even know he was gone until Marie called- he climbed out his window."_

"_It's so cute." _Marie giggled, taking a picture.

"_We can't allow this behavior to continue, though." _Azusa said quietly, looking at her son. _"They're far too old for this."_

"_They're eight and ten, Azusa! Even if he is my son I don't think we have anything to worry about quite yet!" _Spirit gasped out, moving away from the door as the laughter broke through. Azusa planted her foot against his butt as he bent over and gave him a good shove. He stumbled down the hall a bit, but didn't fall.

James became aware of their parents before Elsa woke up. He could feel all of their presences behind him. He remained still, keeping his breathing neutral. It wouldn't be the first time that he'd fooled his parents into thinking he was asleep when he wasn't. That was then… this time one of the presences from behind him seemed to be boring straight into his soul.

Which was quite truthfully what was happening. Stein was staring at James, reading his soul wavelength; learning everything he could about the boy's soul. "James." Stein called out in a low voice. "I can tell you're awake and nervous about being found away from home. Get up, don't wake Elsa."

James looked down at the sleeping girl. She was laying on one of his arms, her small frame cradled against his. He bit his lip, unsure how to move without waking her, but not wanting to anger her father any more than it was obvious that he had already. He slid his arm out from under her head, breathing a sigh of relief as she just curled up instead of waking. Grabbing his shoes he stepped into the hallway, Stein closing her door behind him.

James felt a flash of anxiety as the door shut, and he couldn't see her. He smiled slightly as he realized that he could still feel her presence on the other side of the door and relaxed a bit until he saw Stein's face. He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry for breaking into your home, sir." He said meekly.

The tall man seemed to loom over him, the light glinting off his glasses. "I am not angry that you entered my home uninvited." He said. "I am angry that I found you in bed with my daughter." Even Spirit gulped. "If this ever happens again I will take you apart, piece by piece." Spirit paled and Azusa shot Stein a look.

James shuddered. He knew a promise when he heard one. "I'm sorry, sir. I won't sleep with your daughter again." Spirit suppressed the chuckle, knowing that he and his son were thinking of two entirely different things, and then blanched a bit when he remembered how old the children were.

'_Dirty old pervert indeed!' _He thought to himself. _'I guess no matter how hard you scrub, you never get the stains off old sheets!'_

* * *

Azusa and Spirit took James home and Marie and Stein sat in the kitchen waiting on Elsa to wake up.

"Why do you think he did that, Stein?" Marie asked, one hand propping up her chin, the other absent mindedly stirring her coffee.

Stein just shrugged, not caring. He'd made his point and he believed James would keep the promise he had made.

"You were terrifying, by the way." She said suddenly, and then went back to stirring her coffee and daydreaming. "If they were older that would have been so romantic. Slipping away after a huge fight to comfort her." She sighed wistfully.

Stein chuckled. "You don't know anything about romance, Franken!" He dodged as she flung a creamer at his head.

There was an eep from the door and they turned to see Elsa looking at her night shirt that now had left over creamer on it. "Mother, why did you throw that at me?" She asked in a very tired, confused voice.

"I was throwing it at your daddy, sweetheart. Come here though, we have to talk to you." Elsa padded over to Marie, climbing up in her lap and resting her head on Marie's shoulder, yawning.

"Elsa, what happened last night?" Stein asked. Elsa didn't know that James had spent the night, and she opened her mouth to tell him that nothing had happened when she caught the look in his eyes.

"I went to bed, then I woke up and James was there. He was scared and tired and he was hurting so I let him lay down with me while we talked. I fell asleep while he was talking and when I woke up he was gone." She said, rushing the words out. "Are… are you mad, daddy?"

"Your mother and I are both a bit upset, Elsa. James' parents didn't know where he was. They could have been very worried if your mother hadn't checked on you this morning and found the two of you." Stein's tone was far more gentle than it had been while dealing with James.

"I'm sorry…" Elsa trailed off.

"If that ever happens again, Elsa, you come and get one of us immediately." Stein said.

"You come and get me immediately." Marie corrected, smirking.

"Why?" Elsa asked.

The two adults shared a look and Marie broke up laughing. "Because we don't want anything to happen to your little boyfriend, now do we Elsa?"

Elsa's fair skin turned almost beat red. "He's not my boyfriend!" She exclaimed, sliding off her mother's lap. She went over to her father and pulled a chair close to him. "Daddy knows that he's not."

Stein couldn't resist, the sadistic part of him flaring to life momentarily. "Really, Elsa? Normally if you sleep with a boy you're either dating him or married to him."

"HE HAS COOTIES!" She shouted as she darted away from the table. Both adults laughed.

* * *

James sat in his room, in more trouble than he had been when he went along with Elsa's plan to run away. He sighed, looking around. His books were all gone, his toys gone, even pen and paper was gone. He had nothing to do and they told him it would be like that for the next two weeks.

"James, you have to understand. What you did was incredibly, incredibly dangerous. You could have gotten yourself killed. Someone could have kidnapped you. Anything could have happened." Spirit had admonished him on the ride back.

"Your father doesn't want to punish you, James. Or rather, he doesn't believe in spanking a child." She pushed her glasses up. "As a result, you'll be grounded, in your room, for the rest of the day and for the next two weeks."

He had just sighed, knowing better than to argue. As he sat in his room he felt something strange pass near his window, and not understanding the burgeoning ability he was discovering, he moved over to it and opened the window, looking out. He felt it briefly, a large presence, hovering in the tree near him, but it winked out quicker than he could focus on it, and he shut his window, shuddering as something told him locking it wouldn't keep whatever that was out if it wanted to get in.

James tossed and turned for hours, unable to sleep. Finally he grabbed his pillow and curled up around it; his body exhausted from the long trek the night before and the enforced boredom earlier in the day. He managed to dose off only to jerk himself awake when he heard a scratching sound on his window. Standing he walked to it, examining it without touching it. In the corner of the window he found the source of the scratching sound.

In the bottom of the window there was a long scratch, as if made from a claw. It ran along the entirety of the bottom of the window, and had been close to making it through the glass. James trembled, feeling fear rise up in him, but he fought it down, grabbing his pillow and blanket and curling up in his closet instead.

* * *

_Elsa stood in her special room, tapping her foot. She'd been here for hours it felt like, and she still hadn't seen James._

"_Maybe he's too scared to come back…" She said to herself. "Maybe he got into a lot of trouble." Her face crumpled imagining James getting into trouble over her and she sighed, fighting the tears. She stepped over to the operating table, looking up at the bare bulb that hung over it. She tried to imagine what James had said she had done, but couldn't. She had made a promise. A very important promise. She would never cut a person up like that. She had promised her daddy._

_She felt James' presence before he said anything and she grinned. "It took you long enough, onii-chan!" She giggled, turning to face him. She couldn't help but gasp. "You look horrible!" She exclaimed, tears in her eyes._

_James looked down. He wasn't in the surgeon's outfit like he had been last time. This time he was in his normal clothing, but they were ripped to pieces and barely hanging on him. He could feel the pain from the cuts that had made the slashes in his clothing then, but looking at his skin he realized that there was nothing there._

"_I… I don't know why, Elsa. This is your place, not mine. Can't you change it?" He asked. She gave him an odd look then smiled, tilting her head again. _

"_I bet that I can! It's the same thing that daddy's been teaching me!" She closed her eyes, concentrating and James felt the oddest sensation wash over him. It was like when he was in weapon form, but it was different. He closed his eyes until it was over and felt the grin grow when he realized that he was back in the surgeon's outfit._

"_That's awesome, Elsa!" He said. "Why are we here, though? We should be asleep, not here talking."_

"_We are asleep, silly. That's why it took you so long to get here I bet!" She smiled at him._

"_There was a scratch mark on my window tonight, Elsa." He watched as she reached down to touch her leg. "Yeah, it looked like that. I'm asleep in my closet." He said in something close to a whisper._

_They talked for hours, and even this part of them started to become tired. James yawned and sat down against the wall, his eyes widening as Elsa snuggled up against him. She just smiled sweetly at him and he didn't say anything. The last thing he heard as he drifted off to sleep was her whisper. "Mommy called you my boyfriend and do did Daddy."_

_His voice was low and tired as he replied, "Then I guess you're my girlfriend." She giggled._

* * *

"James!" He heard his father yell. He opened the closet door and looked blearily at his father.

"Dad, I'm in here." He said. Spirit turned to look at the closet.

"Why were you in the closet?!" Spirit demanded. James just pointed at the window. The scratch in the glass was still there from last night. "What the-" Spirit started, curtailing the last word as he remembered he was supposed to watch his language around James. "Take your shower and get ready in the bathroom, James. I'll deal with this messed up window." James just nodded.

He arrived at school a few minutes before Elsa did and waited around outside for her, the memory of his scratched up window running constantly through his mind. He couldn't pay attention all day, and even Elsa couldn't get him to.

When recess came, he followed Elsa robotically to the playground, listening only halfheartedly to her, subconsciously tuning out all the presences around them.

A pair of greyish-purple eyes followed those two particular little ones like she had all day. A scent hit her and she lifted her head, briefly brushing straight black hair out of her eyes. _'So familiar…' _She thought to herself as she walked along, following the scent. It was close. And so familiar.

Sylvia stayed in the bushes, hiding the entire recess, trying to place that familiar smell. She nearly left the bushes once though, but caution kept her in them.

James was lost in his own world when Elsa gave a strangled shriek and buried her face in his shirt.

"Elsa? Elsa, what's wrong? Are you alright?" He asked, looking down at her.

"She's _here._" She whispered in a small, terrified voice.

"Who, Elsa?" James asked, giving her a quick hug.

"The... the witch!" She squeaked out. "I saw her soul she's here, she's just hiding!" James looked up, focusing on the presences that he could feel around himself.

"Elsa, I can't feel her anywhere." As the words left his mouth he realized that he hadn't told Elsa that he could feel people's presences yet.

"You can feel other people?" She asked, her terror momentarily forgotten.

He opened his mouth to answer when he felt it flare up, and Elsa flattened herself against him, shaking. "Elsa, I think that we need to go home. We'll be safer there."

She looked up at him, and even in her fear he could see a kernel of bravery, stubbornness, and something else he couldn't make out. "If we go home, then we're still just kids… we have to be brave like our parents or they'll never send us to the DWMA." She said firmly. He just nodded, knowing how stubborn she was.

They went back to class when the bell rang; both of them fidgeting and when the second recess came they kept away from the other students, near the tree line, talking about what they would do if they had to face the witch. Elsa tried to boast, but they both knew there was nothing they could really do.

Sylvia sniffed the air again, catching that same scent, and this time she placed it, following along behind it until she realized that it was leading up the tree that James and Elsa were sitting at. _"She's come back after the little ones!" _Sylvia's mind spun in circles, and she realized that if the witch were to attack so many of the other little ones would die. _"What do I do? I can't do it all on my own. How do I tell them without letting the witch know?" _Sylvia closed her eyes, focusing as hard as she could and was rewarded when she heard the fire alarm go off inside the school.

As soon as the alarm went off, James was on his feet, grabbing Elsa's sleeve, pulling her along with him. _"No, no, no!" _Sylvia thought desperately, sad for what she had to do. _"I'm sorry." _She whispered, a small wall of flame jumping up in front of the two little ones, James pushing Elsa behind him as she shrieked at the sudden appearance of the flames. When it died down it had left the words:

"Friend. Help you. Need your help. Witch coming. Distract until parents come. Please."

James took a step and addressed the open air. "Why don't you just show yourself?" He demanded.

"Aww, what a cute little kitten." Said a silky voice as a black panther leapt easily from a tree branch to the ground. "Were you talking to me, little kitten?"

Elsa threw her hand out to James and in an instant he was in weapon form, Elsa bringing the weapon up and firing a shot. There was no one left on the playground to see the panther easily jump to the side, transforming into a tall Egyptian woman as it landed, completely dodging Elsa's wild shot.

"And just when I thought that I had found a kitten I could take home and make all mine, you have to ruin the moment and try to shoot me." She said, a pout on her lips.

Something inside Elsa snapped. "You hurt my daddy!" She screamed, charging the witch. The witch laughed, back handing Elsa. The force through Elsa twenty feet away and she lost her grip on James. He landed almost fifteen feet away from her, sliding to his feet as his momentum stopped. Elsa shook her head, trying to clear it.

"I would have treated you just like one of my own little kits. Tsk, tsk. Now you're just too much of a nuisance, little kitten." She smiled sweetly. "Black Panther Dark Fang!"

James could only scream, too far away from his imouto to get to her and push her out of the way, though he was trying his best to. Elsa sat frozen, watching the magic streak towards her. Her voice rose into a thin, high pitched scream and she raised her arms to cover her face.

Then there was a rush of heat and Elsa was looking at the back of a girl maybe a little older than her, a wall of fire now between her and the witch. A pale face turned and screamed something at her, Elsa too much in shock to realize what it was, but she felt James grab her arm and drag her to her feet. The black haired girl then leapt straight through the flames, fire running up and down her hands as she managed to score a direct hit on the witch.

The witch took the full force of the attack, screaming out in rage. The fire wall burned down and they were all left staring at the claw shaped burn etched into the witch's stomach. "And what type of kitten are you?! What was that?!" She demanded of the empty air, coughing blood, the girl already gone.

Her eyes turned onto James and Elsa. "Oh well, I still have you two kittens here." She grinned sweetly, it was incredibly unnerving. "Why don't you two just come and be good little kittens, we can still be friends."

Elsa shook in fear, staring at the sheer size of the witch's soul, but she could also, off in her peripheral vision, see another soul. This one was larger than any of the other children's had been, and was blood red with… horns. It was as terrifying as the witch's soul. James grabbed her shoulder as she took a hesitant step towards the witch's outstretched arms. She just held her hand out to him. He transformed quickly, and she held onto his handle as if it were a lifeline.

Jerkily she stepped towards the witch who was smiling. "I… I don't want to fight." Elsa whispered.

"_Elsa?!"_ James screamed in her head.

"I don't want to be afraid of you. You seem so nice." Elsa said in a singsong voice, closing the distance to the witch.

"You don't have to be afraid of me little kitten, I'll treat you just like one of my own little kits!" The witch's smile was large.

Elsa stepped into the circle of the witch's arms, and then buried James' blade into the witch's already burned stomach. The witch screamed in pain, backhanding Elsa again and sending her flying. Elsa slammed into a tree, blood gushing from her mouth with a loud snap. With a whimper, she tried to stand but couldn't.

James was left buried in the witch's stomach, and she pulled the weapon out of her slowly. A blast hit her in the back and she whirled, facing the blast and a very determined looking Sylvia, one arm a pure black dragon shaped canon. Even as the witch laughed, another gout of fire escaped the canon and knocked her back.

The witch took a step towards Sylvia, and then stopped, laughing. "What resourceful kittens you three are!" They all heard the crack as they watched her tighten her grip on James' weapon form, Elsa screaming, and suddenly the ten year old boy was hanging from her hand, clawing at his throat, struggling for breath.

The witch laughed again and took a step when a shot rang out, the witch's head jerking to the side. A second later a tall figure wielding a hammer slammed into her, and James fell to the ground.

* * *

**A/N: So, Fall-chan has a lot of credit due for this chapter, she helped with the proof-reading, and large sections of the story were also her idea. Sylvia is her OC, and Fall-chan wrote outlines for a lot of what she does. I love working with her, so give her stories a look!**

**I don't own Soul Eater, but James, Elsa, and the panther are all mine :)**

**I hope that you all enjoy this. Two chapters in less than eight hours /gasp! Love you all :)**

**Thanks for the reviews, PMs, and encouragement :D**


	12. A New Friend

Stein slammed into the witch, bringing Marie smashing into her right arm and noted with satisfaction that she dropped James when he did so.

"Marie, Izuna!' He felt the tendrils wrap around his wrist and the electricity surge through his body. It was a sensation like none other. He let any semblance of sanity fade and he grinned sadistically. "Witch Kemnebi, I'm going to dissect you now!" He swung at the witch with Marie, stepping close as she desperately dodged away, his wavelength exploding against her.

A blast of fire swept over his shoulder and he glanced long enough to see a child, maybe Elsa's age or a little older, one arm a black dragon shaped canon. She had a determined frown on her face as she fired balls of normal flames rapidly, dashing into the bushes or some other hiding place if the Witch spotted her. He noted with some interest that although her hair completely obscured her eyes, she managed to fire with incredible accuracy if the Witch wasn't moving. Another shot rang out and he looked up to see Spirit lining up again. He felt the sadistic grin spread across his face and didn't fight it, laughter bubbling up.

He almost forgot how fast the witch was. She was no challenge against Izuna though, and Stein couldn't help but let himself cackle as he calmly sidestepped her. Using just his left hand he pulled a scalpel out of his lab coat's pocket and drug it up the witch's side before slamming Marie into her stomach, knocking the witch a dozen yards away. With a maniacal laugh he was at the witch's side before she could even stand, plunging the scalpel into her stomach, his grin widening as he saw a flash of brilliant red against that warm colored skin.

"_Franken, no!"_ A voice screamed at him. _"Get ahold of yourself!"_

Marie's voice.

He fought back up to the surface of himself; slamming Marie against the witch's left side. She crumpled to the ground, and another shot and gout of fire rang out. Stein raised Marie above his head, intent on finishing this when the witch hissed something out.

"_Kill me and your little kitten dies, Franken Stein."_ The hammer stopped, poised directly above the witch's head. He involuntarily looked over at Elsa and saw the truth behind the witch's words. His daughter lay face down in a pool of blood, another large panther standing over her, lapping the blood up from the puddle, each lap bringing him closer to the source of the blood. _"I'm the only thing that's keeping him from slipping into bloodlust and eating the little kitten in one bite, Franken Stein." _She hissed.

Stein lowered Marie to his side, taking a step back, his free hand swiftly turning the screw in his head, trying to find a way past this. A shot rang out as he did so, the force of it slamming the witch back, her head lolling as blood trickled from her mouth and nose. Before they could react a roar rang out, and Kemnebi's body started to disintegrate.

"NO!" Stein and Marie yelled at nearly the same time, using every ounce of speed that Izuna granted them to charge the panther standing over top of Elsa. The panther used one paw to swat Elsa's unconscious form, tearing four long gashes across her back and tossing the child like a rag doll before Marie slammed into him. A high pitched laugh echoed in Stein's ears as he repeatedly slammed Marie into the panther, his mind gone, only the madness remaining. The panther was nothing more than a bloody pulped mass on the ground before Marie transformed back to her human form, grabbing him. He felt her wavelength surging over him, fighting against the madness that had taken him.

When he could finally focus he heard the sobbing. James had managed to crawl to Elsa and had her head in his lap. Elsa was lying on her side, her eyes closed and her face paler than he'd ever seen it. Blood covered both of them, and James' tears were falling into Elsa's hair. The strange girl was on her knees, hands pressed against her side, watching it all, a myriad of emotions in her eyes, but even as he looked at her she realized that it was over and darted into the bushes again, leaving behind just some droplets of blood.

Numbly he staggered to his feet, roughly shoving James away from his daughter, examining the depths and location of the wounds. It was then that he felt Spirit's hand on his shoulder.

"Stein, don't you hear the sirens? We have to take the witch's soul and go. We had a bit of an audience; I don't want to have to explain this to news reporters." Stein looked over his shoulder and noticed the small crowd of children watching them. He looked down at Elsa's pale form.

"The lab, Spirit. Bring James."

Spirit nodded, and then walked over to the bushes. "Sylvia, you need to come with us too. I don't know what you're doing away from the DWMA, but it hardly matters now." He held his hand out. Hesitantly Sylvia reached out and took it, coming out of the bushes, her head bowed and her hair completely obscuring her face.

Stein gently picked up his daughter, ignoring the blood that was soaking into his lab coat and the fatigue he felt from using Izuna. "Marie?" He asked, reaching his right arm out slightly from underneath Elsa's legs. "We need to get back as quickly as we can." He said. Through her tears Marie just nodded, transforming and Stein moved quicker than the eye could watch, racing to his lab.

* * *

Marie collapsed once they got back to the lab, Stein stumbling awkwardly as he placed Elsa face down on the operating table. He turned to his wife, nearly falling as he knelt beside him. "Marie, I'm sorry I pushed you so hard…" He slipped a hand under her arm to help her to her feet, but she just shook it off.

"Just save her, Franken." She gasped out. He jerkily stood, and moved to his daughter. Looking back, Marie had already succumbed to exhaustion.

"_Blood loss. That leads to shock, and has to be taken care of. The wounds have to be treated. Cleaned, and then stitched. I saw the hit that knocked her back. I have to check for internal damage as well." _He whispered his list out to himself, carefully removing the shredded remains of her dress. Taking a deep breath he retrieved everything that he would need for the surgeries before sliding a needle deep into his left arm. He attached the other needle to Elsa's arm and started the transfusion.

"Work quickly." He told himself, focusing on the numb pain radiating from his arm. He felt himself growing light headed by the time that he had finished stitching Elsa up, but he just sat back in his chair, breathing steadily as he felt the numb pain spread to encompass his arm from fingertips to shoulder. He knew he had probably transfused too much blood, but he was still hesitant when he stopped the transfusion, feeling far too weak.

He could sense Spirit and Azusa before they got to his front door. This time they walked in without knocking, Spirit carrying James. The young boy was unconscious in his father's arms. Behind them walked the strange girl that Stein had seen earlier. _"The one that interposed herself between Elsa and the witch."_ He thought. Focusing his wavelength he glanced at her soul, and couldn't help but smirk.

"I suppose that I should thank you, Sylvia." He said simply when they came in and Spirit laid James down on a table. "After all, you led me to Elsa a few nights back, didn't you?" He looked at her over his shoulder as he forced his leaden body to its feet.

The girl took a step back, obviously incredibly nervous to have been found out. Azusa was behind her though and put both her hands on the girl's shoulders, stopping her from retreating any further back. Stein just chuckled. "I don't need an affirmation; your soul gives you away." He stepped to James, running practiced hands up the boy's sides, checking for lacerations. He only found one that required stitches in James' leg and quickly patched it up. "He's going to be fine." Stein said to the room.

"What about Elsa?" Azusa asked.

Stein tried to look positive. "She lost a lot of blood, but she should be alright." He didn't voice any of the 'what if's' that were flying through his mind, electing instead to reach up and turn the screw. His world was swimming. "Excuse me." He said, brushing past them, intent on getting to the kitchen and retrieving some orange juice or cookies or something along those lines when he noticed the blood on Sylvia's clothing.

He stopped in front of her, kneeling down to where he was face to face with her. "You were injured." He stated, one hand reaching out towards the side that was obviously where she had been hit.

Sylvia blanched, ducking behind a nearby chair, her heart pounding, fighting tears. _"He helped the other little ones, but I'm not one of their little ones!" _She thought, terrified.

Spirit grabbed Stein's shoulder before he could go after the child and just shook his head. "She's been through a lot, Stein. Let me get her. You're not exactly the most normal looking individual."

"What the?!" Spirit's voice called out as he stumbled backwards out from behind the chair. The other two adults moved to look around the side of the chair.

Where there had been a little girl there was now a decidedly Chibi-like black dragon. It was tiny, no larger than a house cat, though it seemed more serpent-like than a normal dragon as it had no limbs to speak of. Its small wings were plastered to its back as it cowered in front of him. It hissed slightly as Stein leaned in, his curiosity getting the best of him. He reached out to grab it and had to pull his hand back as he felt an intense heat a second before the chair beside him burst into flames from a jet that escaped the creature's mouth. He reached out again, trying to suppress the chuckles building in his stomach.

"_How fascinating. I shall have to dissect it!"_

The creature hissed again and took to the air, moving slowly, and hovered just out of reach in a corner of the room. It was too much for Stein. He broke down laughing, falling backwards, his body convulsing with the power of the laughter. Azusa rushed into Marie's kitchen to grab a fire extinguisher and put out the fire.

Spirit just stood staring up into the corner where the creature… _Sylvia…_ hovered. _'Lord Death wants Azusa and I to take her in? He could have mentioned this part.'_ He sighed. "Sylvia? Come back down. Stein wasn't going to hurt you. None of us are going to hurt you." He was rewarded with a hiss and the sound of blood landing on the concrete floor.

"Sylvia, please come down." Marie said quietly, sitting up from her position on the couch. She sounded… motherly. The creature turned its head to look at her.

Azusa copied the tone. "Sylvia, come down. You know you're going to live with Spirit and me. Stein and Marie are our friends. They won't hurt you anymore than Spirit or I would."

Stein had finally stopped laughing and laid on the floor, his head tilted back to stare at the creature. He reached up and cranked his bolt twice backwards, then twice more. The creature hissed at him again and he chuckled as he sat up, standing in a fluid motion. He shouldn't have though and stumbled. Spirit caught his arm and looked at him, questions in his eyes. In response he just showed him the growing bruise on his left arm. "Transfusion," was all he said as he staggered into the kitchen, returning with a large glass of orange juice and a cookie.

The look on Spirit's face was priceless and he looked over at Azusa and said, "Why does Stein get a cookie and I don't?" The creature on the ceiling snickered. Or at least, that's what it sounded like.

James' eyes fluttered open, and he sat up. He turned and the first thing that he saw was Elsa. "Elsa!" He screamed, stepping off of the table only to hit the floor, the stitches in his left leg flaring with pain. He whimpered in pain as his father made it to him first, picking the child up and sitting him on the table again. James' eyes never moved from the sight of Elsa, pale and lying underneath a sheet.

"Is… is she dead? Did I get her killed?" He asked quietly. Stein felt his heart twist as the boy asked, an unfamiliar emotion rising in his chest.

"No. Her dad fixed her up." Spirit said, truthfully.

James just nodded, watching Elsa. "She's asleep?" Spirit looked to Stein who just shrugged then nodded. James just kept watching Elsa for a second before something else clicked. "What about that other girl? What happened to her? Who was she?"

None of the assembled adults had noticed the creature flit into the room, hiding herself in a corner while they were talking. Stein did, however, notice the trail of blood and he looked up in the corner of the room where the blood led and sighed.

"She-" Spirit started, but Stein interrupted.

"Azusa, Spirit, can one of you get her down and normal? She's bleeding pretty badly and I don't want blood all over my lab equipment."

"Sylvia, please come down." Spirit pleaded. "Stein just wants to help you like he helped James and Elsa."

"Sylvia-chan?" James said quietly. "Thank you."

The little girl landed on the floor, coming back to her normal form and staggering, her hands wrapped around her right side. "You- you're welcome, James-san." She said hesitantly.

James smiled at her then. "Don't go getting yourself hurt for us again though!" He said with a laugh, obviously trying to make Sylvia feel more comfortable.

She managed a small smile at him before recoiling from Stein as he stepped towards him. James just smiled again. "Don't worry, he may seem scary, but he's Elsa's dad. He won't hurt you!"

Sylvia forced herself to stand still as the man knelt in front of her, her heart pounding furiously as he reached out to move the ripped pieces of her shirt away from the wound, and couldn't help but wince as he gingerly touched it. "You need stitches." He said, standing up. "Also, your body is burning up. I don't know if it's a fever or normal. I'll give Azusa and Spirit some medication for you in case it's infection."

Then, before Sylvia could react the man had picked her up, and was taking her over to sit on the operating table beside James. Spirit picked James up, moving him to sit in Stein's rolling chair. "We can have the others leave if it's going to bother you to have them see your side. Since your shirt is torn so bad I can stitch it without having to remove it."

Sylvia just shook her head, flinching away when he moved to touch her. He stopped and looked at her. _"I… I don't like being touched…"_ She whispered. He just looked up at her and for a moment she thought she saw understanding in his eyes before the glare from the light hit his glasses.

"It won't take long." He said, using a needle to inject a local anesthetic. It didn't. In short time he had stitched her side up and she didn't feel so bad, in fact, she felt a little tired. James had already fallen asleep against his mother on the couch with Marie. Elsa hadn't woken up yet. Sylvia yawned, blinking her eyes sleepily. Stein and Spirit walked off a bit and she listened to their conversation trying to stay awake.

"With both James and Sylvia injured, why don't you just stay here the night, Senpai?" Stein asked and Sylvia became aware suddenly of a small fire source. Looking that way she saw that the man had lit a cigarette. She turned her head away in disgust.

Her childish grudge against the man got the better of her and she frowned slightly, concentrating a tiny bit of her wavelength onto the cigarette. It went out, and the doctor looked baffled for a moment, before looking at Sylvia, smirking.

"Light it."

She tilted her head to the side, but did as he said anyway.

"Extinguish it."

She tried to do so. To her surprise, the wavelength never connected, instead something seemed to block it. She tried again, and the same thing happened.

Stein smirked, "Come on, Sylvia. Don't you want to put the fire out?"

"It stinks," She muttered. She tried again, but noticed this time that the man had adjusted his wavelength to hers and was thus quite easily nullifying all her time, she shot her wavelength in quick succession, varying how much of her wavelength she channeled, and was rewarded with the last remnants of the horrible smell of cigarette smoke wafting into her face._ "Done."_ She whispered, wrinkling her nose.

"And you can do all that without looking?" He asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"I can see a little, but you can't see my eyes." She explained, looking down.

Stein just grinned. _'Oh, but I will.' _He thought, and then shook off the madness. "Well, Senpai? Stay the night?"

"I think that we'd all probably be more comfortable at home, Stein." Spirit hedged.

"Do you really want to have to wake up James and Azusa? It wouldn't be the first time that the two of you have stayed here. Elsa can sleep with Marie and me, James with you two, and we'll make up another bed for Sylvia." Stein took a deep drag on the cigarette, slowly letting the smoke escape from his lips. "Besides, you are exhausted too, I can see it. Resonating in combat with another weapon isn't the easiest thing to do, even for the two of you."

Spirit just sighed dejectedly. "You're right, Stein."

"Cheer up, Senpai. I'm much too tired to dissect you tonight." Stein's smile was meant to be comforting, but it sent shivers down Spirit's spine anyway. He took the cigarette that Stein offered, and they shared the lighter to relight them.

Sylvia's nose wrinkled in disgust but she didn't do anything this time.

* * *

Stein carried Marie up to their room, her head resting on his shoulder. _'We're getting out of shape.' _He thought to himself. _'Izuna didn't used to take that large of a toll on us.'_ He found Elsa awake when he came back downstairs for her, her head propped on her arms as she lay on her stomach.

"Daddy, is everyone alright?" She asked, her voice small and tired. "You and mother, James and his parents, even that other girl?"

He carefully gathered her up in his arms, avoiding the areas he knew stitches to be. "They're all fine, Elsa."

"Do I have to sleep alone tonight?" She asked, and Stein could feel the fear resonating in her soul.

"_No sweetheart."_ He whispered as they climbed the stairs. Elsa's eyes widened and she snuggled against her daddy's chest. He only rarely called her that, and always when she had been hurt. He carried her into his and Marie's room, carefully helping her slide into bed on her side against Marie. Elsa was still very tired, and she didn't realize when her daddy left the room again.

Spirit lay awake in Elsa's bed, Azusa and James curled up on either side of him. _'How did I get stuck in the middle?' _ He thought sourly, and then just sighed. _'There's no way I'm going to be able to sleep, not here.' _He carefully turned over to wrap his arms around Azusa and let his mind wander, trying to forget all the things that had happened while he slept in this very lab.

Sylvia looked up when she heard the knock on the door to the room they had made her a bed in. She huddled back into the corner as Stein entered. He stayed close to the door and when he spoke it was quietly. "I know it's not going to be comfortable sleeping here. Come and sleep with Elsa and Marie."

'_He's asking me to sleep with his little one and his wife?' _Sylvia questioned his motives even as he held out his hand.

"I'm used to sleeping in a chair, the couch, an operating table. It's all the same to me. You're a growing" there was a slight hesitation here "child and need proper rest." He explained.

Unsure and hesitant she stood and slipped her hand in his and followed him to his room. She crawled into bed and he pulled the blanket up around the three females, his hand idly brushing her hair away from her forehead.

For a brief moment he could see what she tried to keep hidden before she turned her head away to snuggle into the pillow. He just smiled.

* * *

**A/N: Once again, big thanks to Fall-chan for beta-reading this and letting me use her wonderful Sylvia-chan in it :D I don't own her or Soul Eater.**

**I hope that you all enjoy this chapter; I enjoyed writing it for you. With Fall-chan's help, I hope we're bringing the characters more to life for you!**

**Thanks for the reviews and PMs! Love you all!**


	13. Porcupines and Salamanders

Greyish-purple eyes opened slowly to look into gold ones. Sylvia jerked back, slipping off the bed and falling to the floor in a tangle of covers. "Sylvia? Are you alright?" Elsa's voice asked as she looked over the edge of the bed.

Sylvia staggered to her feet, quickly brushing her hair back down to cover her eyes. "I… I'm fine." She watched as Elsa scooted back into the middle of the bed. The girl then tapped the bed beside her.

"Mother's up making breakfast for everyone. Daddy's either not slept or is already up, I can see his glow down in the lab already. We can talk until they come and get us!" Elsa dissolved into giggles.

Sylvia fidgeted, rubbing her hands together slowly_. "I should probably just get ready to go…"_ She whispered.

Elsa's hand snaked out faster than Sylvia could see and grabbed Sylvia's wrist, tugging her onto the bed. "Nonsense. You're going to be staying for breakfast with James and his parents so we should take this time to get to know each other better." Elsa's voice was… different, older almost, and Sylvia couldn't help but pull back slightly. The effect was broken when Elsa burst into giggles. "Just don't touch my back, okay onee-chan?"

"Onee-chan?" Sylvia repeated back.

"Well, what else would you be? James is my onii-chan, so that makes you my onee-chan!" Elsa's grin nearly split her face and she burst into giggles.

They were infectious. Sylvia could feel the smile tug at her lips even as she wondered at how strange Elsa was. "So, that makes you my imouto-san?" She asked quietly once Elsa's giggles subsided.

Elsa's voice was serious as she looked over at Sylvia. "That's only if you want me to be your imouto-_chan_." She emphasized the chan slightly and then grinned at Sylvia. "Besides, you're going to be living with James and his mother and father now!"

"I guess I am…" Sylvia trailed off, looking away from Elsa.

"Don't worry, his parents are really nice. I've had to stay over a couple times because my parents got sent on a mission. It was really cool, even if Mrs. Azusa is kinda strict on bedtime." She leaned in to whisper, almost conspiratorially, "James' dad is really lenient though. He let me have all the ice cream I wanted!" Elsa collapsed back onto her stomach, giggling, and Sylvia couldn't help but smile.

"Well, that's good, Elsa, because you know that here you have to eat all your dinner to get your ice cream." Stein's voice came from the doorway.

"_Drat. I didn't want him to know that… now he's going to tell Mr. Spirit not to give me any if I have to go back…"_ Elsa whispered quickly to Sylvia as her dad made his way into the room to sit on the bed beside Elsa, opposite of Sylvia.

"Alright, Elsa. I'm going to look at the stitches on your back, alright?" He looked up at Sylvia. "You're welcome to leave, they're not going to be pretty." The way that he looked at her froze Sylvia in place, and she just numbly shook her head no.

Stein carefully lifted Elsa's shirt up and away from the fresh stitches, his long fingers deftly feeling the skin around the stitch, but never the actual stitch. He finally nodded. "You're healing fast, Elsa. Probably 12 days or so and we can remove the stitches. Maybe a little bit earlier."

Elsa smiled. "They itch." She said suddenly, shrugging her shoulders together and shaking her back.

"Don't scratch against anything!" He said, laughing. Sylvia felt like she was intruding on a precious moment suddenly and scooted back on the bed, away from them. Stein looked at her and tilted his head. "By the way, Sylvia. Your eyes aren't something you should try to hide."

Sylvia gulped, sliding out of the bed completely. "I… I have to go to the bathroom!" She declared suddenly, rushing from the room.

"She doesn't like her eyes?" Elsa asked, turning her head to look at her daddy.

"I don't believe that she likes her eye color, they're fairly normal from what I saw." Stein said.

"But, they're a pretty color! They're so nique!" She said.

"Unique, Elsa." He corrected her mindlessly before seeing her smirk. "You're too much like your mother, trying to trip me up." She broke into giggles as Marie's voice carried up the stairs.

"Breakfast! Stein, get Azusa, Spirit and James down here when you bring Elsa and Sylvia!" Now that food had been mentioned Elsa smiled as she could place what she had been smelling over the smell of cigarettes that clung to her daddy.

"It's waffles!" She crowed out happily. "Mother, I want strawberries!" She shouted in Stein's ear as he carried her piggy back down the stairs after waking the others. Marie's laughter just answered her. Stein shook his head that anyone could get so excited over something as simple as what was for breakfast, but he had to admit that even he looked forward to Marie's waffles.

With raspberries, not strawberries.

* * *

"Did you call her school, Franken?" Marie asked as she sat plates of waffles in front of everyone.

Stein looked around the table for a second before answering. "I did. I told them that she would be off for an indeterminate amount of time. Apparently the person that I talked to had seen the fight, and said she'd take care of the details for me. She also asked if James would be gone as well. I told them yes." He sighed. "Marie, are there no raspberries?"

"Thanks, Stein." Spirit said, accepting a plate from Marie.

Marie smirked as she sat the last plate of waffles down in front of Elsa and opening the fridge to pull out a bowl of fresh sliced strawberries which she spooned onto Elsa's waffles with some whipped cream. "I don't know, Franken." She looked back in the fridge and pulled out a bowl of blueberries, and turned to sit them on the table.

Stein shook his head. "Just because you don't like fresh raspberries, Marie-"

"Doesn't mean that I can't keep them around." She finished a gleam in her eye. She giggled as she turned to the fridge and pulled a small bowl out, handing it to Stein. "Enjoy your seedy raspberries."

"Pfth." Stein scoffed as he placed the sliced berries onto his plate.

"What about the rest of you?" Marie said, looking around. "We have plenty of fruit, and I might have some others in the fridge if you want something that you don't see here." Spirit and Azusa just shook their head, opting for syrup only. James looked sideways at his parents and mumbled something.

"What was that, James?" Marie asked, smiling.

"Can I have mine like Elsa's… but with chocolate sauce?" They boy smiled sweetly, and it was obvious that he was asking for something that Spirit and Azusa would never allow. Spirit just laughed.

Marie grinned and pulled a bottle of chocolate sauce out from the fridge, handing it to the boy who added it to his waffles, grinning as well. "What about you, Sylvia?"

Sylvia's waffles sat untouched on her plate, completely devoid of anything. She just picked up her fork and sliced a small piece off. "I like them plain." She said quietly.

"You don't have to be nervous, Sylvia. That's what the syrup and stuff is for- to be used!" Marie smiled and tilted her head.

"Go ahead, Sylvia." Stein said quietly.

"Can… can I have some blueberries then?" She asked suddenly, though she was hunkered back in her chair.

"Of course!" Marie said happily, passing them down to her.

The rest of the meal went well, small talk all around until Elsa asked the question all three of the children were thinking. "What happens to the witch's soul?" She looked at James. "We know we have to get one to make a death scythe."

The adults all looked at each other. "Well," Spirit started, "you all didn't actually defeat the witch. Azusa and I did, which means that the soul goes to Lord Death."

Elsa was crestfallen, and then something seemed to click. "But, Sylvia was there the whole time helping! Shouldn't that count for something? I mean, she did help to defeat the witch! She should get to have it instead of Lord Death!"

Sylvia tried to shrink against the chair. _"No…"_ She whispered as Spirit made a show of considering the request.

"I'm sorry, Elsa, but as it stands, the three of you wouldn't have defeated the witch without our involvement, so the soul has to go to Lord Death."

"That's not fair!" Elsa nearly shouted. "Syliva-neechan should get it!"

"I don't want it!" The entire table looked at the now standing child who had flames flickering along her arms, curling defensively around her. "Witches eat souls and kill people! I won't do either!" She rushed from the table, her waffles barely touched, tears streaming down her face.

Marie stood, starting to follow her when Azusa stopped her. "Marie, she's going to live with Spirit and me. We need to be the ones she turns to with issues like this." She said as she went after the child.

* * *

"Sylvia?" Azusa's voice called out as she walked over to the where the child was sitting, half hidden, between the sofa and the floor. "Sylvia?" Azusa called again as she reached out to the young girl, feeling the heat flare up around her. Azusa sighed.

"Sylvia, not just witches eat souls. That's part of being a weapon- you eat 99 evil human souls and 1 witch soul to become a death scythe. Myself, Marie and Spirit all have. We're not evil, we're not witches. We're Lord Death's death scythes. And you will be one someday, too."

"_No."_ The little girl whispered. _"I'll never be like my mother. My foster mother. I'll never do that."_

"Sweetheart, there's a difference between eating an evil person's soul that has become a kishin egg and eating a soul that's pure and innocent. It's only the evil souls we take; the ones who threaten the world with their very existence."

"_You can't make me be like her."_ She whispered pitifully.

"And I won't." Azusa said suddenly. Sylvia looked up at her in shock. "You're a weapon, you can attend the DWMA and go through the NOT classes. You'll never have to fight except when learning how to control your weapon ability. If you are in control enough you won't even have to go for that." Azusa reached her hand out to Sylvia. "But, there are two children in there that want to be your friends. Elsa has already started calling you Onee-chan. If you hold onto this fear that you'll somehow turn into a witch, you'll never get to be their friend and you'll make them very sad. Do you want that, Sylvia?"

Sylvia eyed Azusa's hand. "Witches only eat good people?" She asked quietly.

"They do far worse than that to them, Sylvia. Which is why we stand to protect the people of the world. To protect people like James and Elsa. You've already done that, though, haven't you?" Azusa never lowered her hand, never stopped watching Sylvia, and the child just nodded.

Hesitantly, Sylvia reached out and took Azusa's hand. "I want to keep people safe." She said quietly. Azusa just smiled.

The little girl walked bashfully back to her seat and sat down, her cheeks burning red hot._ "I'm sorry for my outburst."_ She said quietly.

"It's ok, onee-chan!" Elsa said quickly, grinning. "Now you better eat! Mother's even tougher than daddy is when it comes to cleaning your plate!" Sylvia managed a small smile and took another bite of the waffle.

* * *

Half an hour later James and his parents and Sylvia all clambered into their vehicle and started to make their way home. Elsa begged her daddy not to make her go back to her room, but he was stern.

"Elsa, you have to rest. You got hurt pretty bad yesterday. Your mother and I were both very worried. Promise me you'll stay in bed and not scratch the stitches in your back." He saw Elsa glance quickly, just a flick of her eyes, down at her leg. "Or the scab on your leg, or I'll stitch your fingers together." She giggled at the joke, wriggling the appendages at him.

"I'm promise, daddy!" He smiled, not bothering to correct her as he bent down and let her climb onto his back before carrying her up to her room and watching her slide on her belly into bed. She was asleep before he even left her room.

* * *

"Hey, Sylvia." James said, looking over at her. "What's your favorite color?"

Sylvia thought for a second, and then responded, "Why do you want to know?"

James blinked behind his glasses. "Because it's important. You have to know a person's favorite color to be their friend. At least, that's what Elsa says. Mine's green. Hers is yellow."

Sylvia turned her head to look out the window at the passing landscape. "I have two." She said finally, quietly. "Black and silver."

"That's cool!" James said, smiling. "What about your favorite food? I love pizza."

Spirit looked into the rear view mirror, proud of his son for making the effort to get to know Sylvia.

"Mine's anything spicy, but I love Italian too." Sylvia answered. "Can I ask you a question?" She asked suddenly.

"Sure!"

"What's your favorite animal?" She asked.

James thought for a moment. "My favorite animal? Well, I've never thought about that before. I think I'd have to say a porcupine."

Sylvia couldn't help but giggle. "You're just being silly!"

"Nope. Porcupines are all prickly on the outside, but on the inside they're super soft. Kinda like me in reverse. See, I'm all soft and squishy on the outside, but on the inside I'm dangerous." James said laughing. "Cause I can turn into a weapon!"

Spirit and Azusa joined the laughter. James grinned. "What about you, what's your favorite animal?"

"A salamander." She answered quickly.

"Why?"

"I… I just like them." She answered.

James started to ask another question, but by this time they had arrived at home and he darted eagerly towards the house, the pain in his leg nearly forgotten as he rushed to gather up an old teddy bear he didn't want Sylvia to see.

* * *

_Elsa stood alone in her special place, waiting on James yet knowing that he'd never arrive. She shook her head and glanced back towards the dissection table, looking at the strange creature that was strapped to it, her curiosity growing by the minute. The array of scalpels and surgical implements seemed to call to her, and the things pitiful mews didn't do anything to assuage her longing to see what it looked like on the inside._

_She tapped her feet, she tapped her hands against her arms, she did a little spin. She tried counting to 100, but the need grew and grew until she couldn't take it anymore. She moved with casual steps, purposeful steps, to the table and reached down to pick up a scalpel. In a flash she realized that her hands already had gloves on them and that there was anesthesia already hooked up and waiting for her._

_Something sang through her as she picked up the scalpel, and she made a careful incision without anesthetizing the creature, listening to its mewling agony with a musician's ear. She sighed in pleasure, and then anesthetized the creature. She took her time, cataloguing every bit, her fingers slipping into its ruined chest to touch it's still beating heart before it died from blood loss. Raising her red gloves to her face she giggled, and her tongue snaked out, close enough to lick the blood and then she-_

She woke up, sweat covering her, burning the stitches, and she screamed for her daddy. He was there quicker than she had imagined, sensing the distress in her soul, carefully wrapping his arms around her, wary of the stitches. She sobbed into his chest, not for the dissection she had performed, but for the very end. The moment that she had tried to wake from before she saw what laid on the table . The damning evidence that she was a monster.

The vivisected body of Sylvia.

* * *

**A/N: I don't own Soul Eater. Nor do I own Sylvia-chan; she belongs to Fall-chan (who I realize that while I don't own, I don't need to disclaimer it and hope I phrased this better this time!)**

**I hope that you've enjoyed this installment- sorry for missing a day :-) Keep in mind, also, readers, that Elsa was asleep the entire time Syl-chan was in her chibi form.**

**Thanks for the reviews, PMs, etc.**

**Thanks Fall for beta'ing this!**

**Love you all, I'm glad you enjoy my stories.**


	14. Time to Play: Don't Get Hit!

Stein held his daughter as she sobbed against his chest. He didn't need to read her soul's wavelength to sense how much distress she was in. He held still, despite the awkward position of half-kneeling beside the bed, and just let his daughter cling to him as she sobbed out her fear and pain.

Finally the cries trailed off to hiccups, and she was still against him. "Elsa, sweetheart, what's wrong?" He asked gently.

"I'm so sorry, daddy…" She whispered as she turned her face away from him, burying it into the pillow she had been laying on.

Stein reached out gently, brushing her hair away from the side of her face. _'Marie responds positively to that when she's upset.' _ Stein thought absentmindedly. Eventually her renewed sobs died down and he tried again. "Elsa, what are you apologizing for?"

"Daddy… I'm a monster…" She whispered so quietly that he almost didn't hear, her back heaving with tears again.

Stein felt a cold knot in his stomach. "Elsa." He said forcefully. "You are not a monster. You are not a freak. You are a wonderful little girl."

"I'm a monster, daddy!" She shrieked into her pillow. "What kind of person dreams about vivisecting their friends?!"

Stein was silent for a moment. "Elsa, you are not a monster for having a dream like that. It was just a dream, nothing more."

"What if I can't stop it…" she whispered into her pillow. "What if that feeling comes again and this time I'm awake and I can't stop? What do I do then?"

"You fight." Stein said calmly. "You fight with all of your strength to keep from giving into it."

Elsa turned to look at him. Her voice was suddenly that older, knowing voice. "You have to fight it, don't you?"

He looked at her soul then, seeing the tinges of madness all around it. "Every day, Elsa."

That voice continued. "You've given in, haven't you father."

He looked at his daughter, and then answered truthfully. "Yes. A long time ago. That's why it is so important to never repeat what happened."

In a heartbeat the madness melted away and he was left staring at his sobbing daughter, her voice back to its normal tone. "No one wants to sleep forever dead…" She whispered, repeating why she had promised to never do that to a person.

"That's right, Elsa. Which is why people like you and I must control our urges. That's why we dissect animals instead of people. Because it's the right thing to do."

She looked at him and what she said in that older voice chilled him to the bone.

"Maybe I don't want to do what's right."

* * *

"This is going to be your room, Sylvia!" James said, pulling her into the room that was next to his. "Mom decorated it for you!"

The room was tastefully done, but obviously done by an adult. The walls were pink, and there was a flower motif going around the bottom of them. The ceiling was blue with white fluffy clouds, and the bed was shaped like a house almost. The bedding was predominantly pink, with the multicolored pillows being the exception.

"Do you like it, Sylvia?" Spirit's voice came from the door.

"Yes, Spirit-sama." Spirit shook his head.

"You don't have to call me that, Sylvia."

"I'm sorry, Spirit-sama." She said quietly, not correcting her address of him. She stepped into the room and looked around. "Thank you for all the effort you've went to for me, Spirit-sama."

"You're going to be living with us, Sylvia. I'm not going to treat you any differently than I treat James." Sylvia glanced over her shoulder at the two.

"I… I'm not your little one." She said quietly, turning her face to look at the room again. She was staring at the dresser that held her clothing (which Spirit and Azusa had already retrieved from the DWMA) when she jumped as she felt a hand settle lightly on her shoulder. She looked up to see Spirit smiling down at her.

"That doesn't matter, Sylvia. From this minute on, you're an Albarn, and you'll be treated like one; even if you don't carry our last name." He knelt beside her and embraced her in a loose hug. Sylvia felt herself tense.

'_This is the man that killed your mother!' _She screamed inside her head. _'He took her away from you!'_ Then she heard the little voice answer, _'He's also the one who saved you from your mother. He's the one who fought for you after you killed your father, after he found you sitting in the ruins of your home holding your father's soul, mumbling for forgiveness. This is the man that took you in.'_

Sylvia felt something snap. She clutched Spirit's suit jacket, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbed. She felt him just tighten his arms around her and murmur reassuring sounding words. She couldn't even make them out, but it didn't matter. This was the man who, while not a replacement for the foster father she had killed, would take care of her like one of his own, and that was all she needed.

James smiled, and went to his room while she was crying, grabbing the teddy bear that he had hidden so carefully. Returning, he walked over to the still sniffling Sylvia and held out the bear like an offering. She just looked at him.

"I think you need Buckets more than me!" He said, smiling. She looked at the bear he held out to her, and giggled slightly to see that it was wearing a raincoat and galoshes. She gingerly took it and smiled at him.

"Thank you… onii-san." She said shyly. He just grabbed her hand, pulling her away from Spirit and rushed out of the room.

"There's so much more of the house for you to see! Plus I have to tell you where dad hides the chocolate so mom won't find it!" Spirit's head popped out of the little girl's room and he sighed.

'_I'm going to have to hide my stash again.' _Spirit thought regretfully.

* * *

Stein stared at his daughter. "Elsa, never say anything like that again. Do you understand me? You don't want to ever walk down that path."

"Why not?" Her voice was still that older version of herself. "I understand, even if it's not all the time, that what I truly wish is to take someone apart. To learn from them what I can't learn from animals." Her eyes were cold and empty. "I need to dissect a human." Madness swirled suddenly. "I need to see the blood and the organs and the bone and sinew. I need to see the skin parting under my scalpel. Don't you understand, father?" A feral grin spread across her face. "I know that you do."

Stein reached out to his daughter then, taking her shoulder in his hand and giving her a small shake. "Elsa, come back to me." He said.

She laughed. Not her happy giggle, but a laugh that echoed oddly in the small room. "I'm right here, father!"

He stood and walked away from her, going to the door. "I'm going to get your mother." He said as he opened it.

"Mother is stupid. She can't see what we do." Elsa turned her head from him and giggled softly into the pillow. She didn't hear Stein's approach, though she couldn't have done anything even if she was. Before she could react she felt his hand gently touch her back and she spasmed, his wavelength surging through her. Before she could draw a breath it happened again and she lay limp, shuddering against the bed.

"D-daddy?" She said hesitantly, turning to look up at him. "Wh-what happened? Why did you do that?" Confusion clearly showed on her face, and Stein realized that she had no idea what had just transpired.

"Elsa?" He said quietly.

"Daddy? What-"

He interrupted her. "Promise me that no matter what happens, you'll stay you."

"What do you mean?" She asked, the confusion even more apparent.

"Just promise me, Elsa."

"I promise, daddy." She said, sincerely.

* * *

Stein sat in his lab, his head in his hands. He knew that they needed to watch Elsa for slips into madness, but this last one was a bad one. There was nothing he could think of to do to stop them either. Shaking his head, he slowly twisted the screw. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't feel the wavelength approach him until he heard Elsa's small voice.

"Daddy?" She said hesitantly.

He turned his chair to face her, and then turned to put his cigarette out in the ashtray. "What is it, Elsa?"

"I had this really weird dream…" She trailed off, almost as if thinking. "I just can't remember it."

Stein smiled. _'That is for the best, Elsa.'_ He thought to himself. "If you can't remember it, what makes you think that it was so strange, Elsa?"

"I don't know." She scuffed her feet together. "Can… can we take something apart… dissect it?" She asked timidly. "I really want to."

Stein looked closely at his daughter, seeing the small flecks of madness circling her soul but it was nothing like earlier. "Your back is still pretty bad, Elsa. It's not even been 24 hours yet. You should still be resting."

She pouted, and looked just like Marie did. He smiled indulgently. "I'm sorry, Elsa, but the answer won't change. You have to get better first. When you feel better, we can."

"Do you promise, daddy?" She asked.

"I do, Elsa." He said solemnly.

* * *

The next two weeks passed by slowly. James and Sylvia came over to visit every day, even though Elsa told them they didn't have to. After Elsa got her stitches out she decided to introduce the other two to a game she had thought up while she was pretty much grounded.

"It's called Don't Get Hit" She said cheerfully. "We're all special, so we have to have a special game, right? It's kind of like tag, except everyone is it and trying to get and stay away from everyone else. You can't get hit, because when you get hit you can't use that body part anymore, ok?"

James grinned, Sylvia looked a little nervous. "It seems like fun, Elsa." James said.

"Oh, yeah! We get to practice our powers, that way it really gives us an incentive to Not Get Hit! Just make sure that whatever you do won't hurt too much, or our parents may get upset." Elsa smiled sweetly. "You ok with that, Sylvia?" She asked when she noticed how nervous Sylvia was getting.

Sylvia smiled weakly. "I'm just afraid that I'll hurt you." She said.

"Don't worry!" James said, grinning. "It takes a lot more than that to hurt us!" Elsa threaded her arm through Sylvia's pulling her out the door of the lab.

"Alright!" Elsa proclaimed, climbing up to the top of the wall that surrounded her father's lab. "These are the rules: 1) If you get hit in a body part, you can't use it- if you're hit in the head, you're dead, and if you're hit in the chest you have to lay there for 1 minute before you can get back up! 2) No teams, and no teaming up, this is every man for himself! That is all!" Elsa hopped down. "We'll count to 10 then and then split up! Then we start hiding and looking for each other!" She said with a huge grin.

"1!" Elsa jumped down from the wall, landing on her feet.

"2!" James' eyes darted from side to side, seeking the best hiding position to begin with.

"3!" Sylvia tentatively raised her hand.

"4! What, Sylvia?"

"5!"

"Can we go inside?" Sylvia asked.

"6! That'd be great; it'd open up a lot more places to hide!" Elsa grinned.

"7!" The other two children prepared to run.

"8, 9, 10!" Elsa giggled, bolting away from them, running towards the back of the lab. James and Sylvia looked at each other and James just shrugged, darting in the other direction. Sylvia giggled, threading her way back into the lab.

* * *

Elsa slipped against the wall of the back of her father's lab, stifling the giggle. _'We have such a large play area! I should definitely be able to sneak up on James at least!"_ She took a minute to concentrate and was rewarded when a weak looking spark flickered around her right hand. She grinned, mouth pulled wide.

Sneaking around to the corner of the building, she glanced out carefully, looking for James' glow. She could see multiple glows inside the lab, so she knew that Sylvia was inside, her glow was fairly unmistakable, with its size, color and horns. Elsa shivered slightly. Even now Sylvia's soul gave her an odd feeling, like it didn't belong to someone as little or young as Sylvia.

She was so absorbed in looking that she didn't notice when James landed beside her, having dropped from the first floor roof. He smiled slightly, his arm transforming as he whispered her name. She flung around and desperately tried to dodge. This resulted in his shot hitting her left arm. It didn't do much besides sting and she grinned.

"I can still use my right!" She shouted as she charged back at him, and James' eyes went wide, looking at the energy arching around her hand. He sidestepped, narrowly missing her hitting his stomach. She giggled.

James brought his arm up again, firing a succession of high staccato shots. Elsa's eyes went wide as she realized that she couldn't block them all. She flipped herself around, arching her back, and tried to protect herself from them. James couldn't help but smirk as the shots hit her and she sighed, lying back on the ground.

"1 minute." He said, "That's the rules that you made up. Seems a little long, doesn't it?" He asked, standing over her.

She giggled. "I guess so, James."

"Have you seen Sylvia?" Involuntarily Elsa's eyes darted towards the lab. "So she went inside? Awesome- and don't worry, I'll see you in a minute!"

'_49 seconds.' _Elsa thought absentmindedly.

* * *

Sylvia slipped into Elsa's room, and had seen the entire incident with James and Elsa. She couldn't help but giggle as she tried to stay away from the window enough to not be seen, but to see.

James slipped into the lab, trying to sense where she was. He could get vague impressions, but he wasn't practiced enough yet to be 100% accurate. Twice he managed to find Stein, who only raised an eyebrow and asked James what he was doing.

"Um…" James said, nervous. "We're playing a game!"

"What game?"

"Don't Get Hit!" James said and darted away. Stein just smirked as he turned back to his research.

"_That is why you are here, after all, even if you don't realize it children. You're learning to work together." _He whispered to no one in particular.

Finally James was certain that he had found Sylvia, and he crept into Elsa's bedroom. The… feeling… was coming from underneath the bed. He stealthily moved over to it, getting down on his hands and knees to look under it. There, pressed against the back wall, was Sylvia. She saw him and let out a small eep as she back pedaled.

James dove under the bed; his arm already transformed, and tried to get a shot off. His wavelength dissipated harmlessly against the bed leg when it missed the startled girl. He came out the other side of the bed in time to see Sylvia leap out the window.

"No!" He screamed as he rushed over to it, only to see Sylvia flitting off, her human form shed in lieu of her chibi-dragon form. He couldn't help but shake his head as he lined up a shot and fired. Thanks to the distance though, the shot never made it to her and he just sighed. It was then that he became aware of the presence behind him and turned to face Elsa.

"I missed the first time, this time I won't." She said, her voice older and cold. "Then I think I'll dissect you." A feral grin played at her lips. "That would be fun wouldn't it?"

As her hand descended on him, James did the only thing he could- he let out a shot that caught Elsa square in the chest, knocking her back across the room as blood sprayed from her mouth, and he tumbled backwards out of the window.

Sylvia had stopped, knowing that she was outside of his range to watch how it played out with Elsa and James. Something told her that there was a problem with the way they were playing when she heard Elsa's words and then watched as, without holding back, James shot her. Sylvia reacted without thinking.

Suddenly there was a monstrous creature, nearly eye level with the second story bedroom that James was falling out of reaching a wickedly clawed hand at him. James screamed and a now herself Elsa looked out the window and joined it. The creature grabbed him, holding him up close to its eyes for a second. Its greyish-purple eyes.

"Sylvia?" James whispered in awe.

A throaty chuckle escaped the beast as it stretched its muscles, its tailing wrapping around its taloned feet as it folded its wings against its back.

"Impressed, onii-chan?" James could swear that he saw a smirk on the dragon's features.

* * *

**A/N: Can I saw rawr? Because I really want to!**

**RawR!**

**I hope that you've enjoyed the game we played :) Thank you, Fall-chan for letting me use your wonderful Sylvia-chan. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing for me. And thanks to Fall-chan for beta'ing for me!**

**I don't own Soul Eater or the precious little Sylvia. However, James and Elsa are mine! /rawr (again) ;D**

**Love you all!  
**


	15. Training

Elsa squealed in excitement. "You're so cool!" She shouted out the window, the game completely forgotten. "Can you really fly? Do you breathe fire like a real dragon? Do you shed your scales? What do you eat when you're that big?!" Elsa's list of questions had to stop as she took a deep breath. She stood on her window frame, looking down at Sylvia, who was giggling, albeit in a deeper pitched voice than before.

However, before she could answer, Stein and the other adults came out the door; Marie and Azusa at the ready and aimed at Sylvia. Stein stopped, and then started laughing, his hands on his legs, bent nearly double from the force of it even as Spirit started to move around him. Reacting, Stein held Marie out in front of Spirit, stopping him. It took a second before Stein got his breath back. During that time the creature lowered James to the ground and then reached out to take Elsa gently in its claws and set her down too.

"It's Sylvia." Stein managed to get out.

"What?" Spirit asked as Marie and Azusa took their human forms again.

"That's Sylvia. Isn't it?" He asked looking up at the creature and turning the screw in his head, his fingers itching for another kind of motion. _'I can only imagine what dissecting that creature would be like. The size of the scalpel I would need would be amazing, just to get through the sheer size of the scales…'_ Another click of the screw managed to mostly drive the thoughts off, although the itching in his hands remained. It would pass, given time.

The dragon just bared its teeth as it reared back on its legs and took to the sky, great black wings creating a down draft that blew Elsa and James back against their parents. Her large tail, tipped with a sharp blade, barely missed them and the side of the lab as she flew up to hover about 60 feet in the air. The smirk the dragon wore was unmistakable as she inhaled then exhaled, dragons of flame appearing all around her, her own body covered in flames.

Then it was as if a shudder ran through her body and she crashed to the ground. She stood unsteadily, shaking her head, shudders running all the way down to the tip of her tail. Elsa screamed wordlessly, and pulled her hand away from Marie's, rushing to the convulsing dragon. Stein was a second behind her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back and away from Sylvia.

"We have to help her!" Elsa cried out, watching her friend's soul ebb and grow. "Something's wrong, we have to help her!" Stein pulled her to his chest, turning her so she couldn't see what was going on.

"We can't." He said quietly. Elsa could feel his words rumbling in his chest. "This is something that she has to do on her own. We can't help her with this fight." The light glinted off his glasses, concealing his eyes as he watched the massive creature shudder again, her soul shrinking back down to its normal size before, in a flash of flames, Sylvia lay unconscious on the ground, her clothing completely burned away, her body smoking. He held Elsa's head against his chest, refusing to let her see the sight before him. Stepping back, he guided her to Marie as Spirit and Azusa rushed to Sylvia, James standing mute still beside Marie.

"Marie, take them inside." He said, careful to keep Elsa from looking. Marie just nodded, guiding the two children inside.

Turning he moved to Sylvia, kneeling down beside the child, noting the heat coming from her body and her shallow breathing. He also noticed that she was weeping, hot tears leaving marks of steam on the ground.

"The high temperature was completely natural." He said quietly. She glanced up at him briefly and nodded. "Spirit, would you like to take her to the lab? She can't stay out here like this. Some of Elsa's clothing may fit her, as well."

Spirit gently picked the girl up, wincing at the heat that was still pouring off of her body, and carried her to the lab. Azusa went ahead to get some of Elsa's clothing- settling on a long nightgown that looked like it would fit the slightly larger girl.

"Is she going to be alright?" Spirit asked Stein as he examined the girl. She winced as he touched her side gently.

"She will be. For now, I'm going to try to cool her body temperature down a little, and the fastest way to do that is to put her in the tub." Sylvia shuddered as Stein walked away and started the tub filling with cool water. "It seems that her transformation caused her body to overheat. Bringing the temperature down is imperative. You can bring her over, Spirit."

Sylvia sat up on the table as Spirit started to pick her up. "Please don't make me go into the water. Please. I'll be fine. I'm always fine, Spirit-sama, please don't put me in the water." She was almost to the point that she was blubbering, her entire body shaking.

"Stein?" Spirit called out. "Is there any other way we can do this? She's shaking like a leaf in the wind, acting as if she's terrified of the water."

"_I'll go out if you make me get in the water."_ She whispered desperately, backing up to the edge of the table.

Stein moved to stand beside her, looking down at the child, the water still running in the background. "Why don't you want to go into the water, Sylvia?"

"_I'll go out…" _She repeated.

Stein turned the screw in his head. "Very well. You'll need to stay in the lab. I'm going to cut the temperature down; we have to bring yours down." Sylvia just nodded.

* * *

Sylvia's temperature eventually settled down. James and his parents went home shortly after that, James asking a million questions of Sylvia. Stein and Marie sat drinking coffee while Elsa drank some cocoa.

"Franken, will Sylvia be alright?" Stein just nodded as Marie asked. "That's good!" Marie said with a smile.

"I'm glad." Elsa said quietly.

"Hurry and finish your cocoa, Elsa." Stein said suddenly. "I made a promise, remember? If you're feeling good enough to play 'Don't Get Hit!' then you're feeling good enough to dissect something."

Elsa's face lit up. Marie just sighed. Stein looked at her out of the corner of his eye, a glint streaking across his glasses but not quite enough to hide the slightly sadistic look in his eyes from Marie. "Your mother is going to be helping us today."

"What?" They both asked at the same time. Elsa followed up, "I can't believe that! You're so awesome, mother!"

Marie just sighed. _'That bastard knows I won't do anything to upset Elsa… oh, Franken, you're going to pay for this.'_

Elsa finished her cocoa in record time, skipping to the lab and waiting on her parents. Stein stood, walking over to Marie and pulled her up into his arms, giving her a long kiss. _"I'm sorry, Marie, but you'll forgive me once we get in there." _He whispered into her ear. Her anger melted away.

She tried to feign it though. "We'll see, Franken." It was hard to keep her face straight though.

* * *

Elsa was starting to get impatient waiting on her parents when they finally came around the corner from the kitchen. She was literally bouncing, peering in through the small window when she was high enough.

"What are going to dissect, daddy?" She asked, stepping back so he could unlock the door.

"Just hold on, Elsa. You'll know in a second." Stein stepped into the lab, and back to the fridge that he kept for cold storage. Reaching in he pulled out a covered pot.

"Is that one of my good pots?!" Marie demanded.

"Relax, Marie." He said, smirking. "Now then, we're going to dissect what's inside the pot, Elsa. And I want you to remember, your mother inspired this and I created it. I hope you enjoy it."

Stein sat the pot down on an operating table, and took Elsa's hand to get them sanitized and gloved. "I'd ask you, Marie, but I know you're not going to be assisting." He grinned over his shoulder.

Marie just wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered, imagining all the small animals that could be lying underneath the lid, already neatly shaved and preserved. _'Why did it have to be in one of my good pans?!' _She thought irritably as Stein and Elsa came back to the table.

Elsa pulled a step stool out from under one of the tables, standing on it so that she could see properly. Stein smirked at Marie as he removed the lid and slid his hands into the pot. Marie flinched as she heard a wet sucking sound and closed her eyes. She opened them when she heard Elsa's indignant gasp.

"That's not something to dissect!" Elsa said, a twinge of anger entering her voice.

Marie looked down at what Stein had placed on the table. It was a facsimile of a man, done with what looked like meatloaf. It clicked, then, and Marie started laughing. It was eerily similar to the meal she had made for Stein so long ago.

"Now then, Elsa. This was something your mother did for me a long time ago, before you were born. I added some improvements. It's close to being anatomically correct, or rather, as correct as we need it to be. I want you to make the initial incisions on the chest. If you cut in the wrong place you'll see bright red liquid. Understand?" Stein smirked at Marie.

Elsa took a deep breath and began humming to herself. Marie listened quietly, and realized that it was the music she had put to _Humpty Dumpty._ She just shook her head. "I'll leave you two to this, now. I want my pot back when you're done, Franken." Stein just smirked.

He turned back to Elsa, smiling at her attempts to dissect the creation by herself. He stopped her just a centimeter from hitting a red vein and spilling the liquid all over her subject. She just looked up at him and smiled, continuing without hitting it.

He let her make the cuts, discovering all the small pieces he had hidden inside it for the heart, the liver, intestines, etc. He smiled each time she giggled in excitement. But the entire time he watched her soul for the slivers of insanity that he knew she harbored.

* * *

A year passed, and James, Elsa, and Sylvia were to start the 6th grade that year. However, their parents had other plans, and the three children were removed from public education. It was decided that to prepare them for joining the DWMA the next year (early for all three children) they would begin training to control their abilities, as all were already ahead of the grade curve for their age.

'Don't Get Hit!' became a staple in their day, with the children using a smaller and smaller area to play in. The attacks became more painful as well, which James learned the hard way.

James screamed in pain, his non-weapon arm burnt badly. Sylvia gasped, pulling away from him and running to get their parents.

"Azusa-sama, Spirit-sama! James-san is hurt!" She cried out as she burst into the room. All four adults looked up, moving quickly behind the girl.

James sat with his back against the wall, sobbing as he picked pieces of his ruined shirt out of the wound.

"Stop." Stein said quickly, catching the boys hand before he could remove anything else. "You're just going to pull skin off. I know it looks bad, but you'll be fine. You won't even scar." It was a lie, and a blatant one at that, but it calmed James down considerably.

Spirit lifted James off the ground and carried him into the lab where Stein expertly cleaned the wound and worked on getting it treated and bandaged. They came out a few minutes later to find Elsa and Sylvia standing opposite each other, Elsa's white dress burned.

"Again." Elsa said. Sylvia concentrated for a second and they watched as the end of the cannon on her arm opened and a gout of flames exploded from it. It was obvious that these were deadly. Stein rushed, matching his wavelength against Sylvia's, firmly intent on pulling his daughter out of the flames.

He stopped and stared in amazement as Elsa coughed from the smoke, but stood there unharmed, her dress more than a little singed. "I'm going to be just like you, Daddy." She said proudly. "Is James going to be alright?"

Stein wiped soot from his glasses as he answered. "He'll be fine, though he may have a little bit of a scar on his arm from the fire."

Elsa looked over at James and smiled. "I'm going to teach you how to not get hit! I'm learning now!"

Stein didn't have the heart to tell her that there was no hope for James to ever learn that technique. Other than Elsa, he didn't know of anyone that had the ability other than himself.

Marie just smiled, motherly support modes kicking in. "I'm sure that you'll be an excellent teacher, Elsa!"

"We're going to go on home now." Azusa said quietly. "Marie said that it would be alright if you wanted to stay the night, Sylvia. Though I'd prefer it if you not try to set Elsa on fire, alright?"

Sylvia just smiled. "I'd love to stay with Elsa-san."

"_-chan…"_ Elsa hissed under her breath as she threaded her arm through Sylvia's. "We'll practice more when James is feeling better." Elsa said seriously, and then collapsed into giggles. "Besides, James doesn't want to come to a girls sleep over, do you onii-chan?"

James face contorted into a grimace. "Gross. You two both have cooties."

"Yeah, well you had them first!" Elsa shrieked, laughing at him.

James, Spirit and Azusa left as Marie led Sylvia and Elsa into the lab. "Elsa, go put on something that's not burnt to cinders." Marie said, laughing. "I'll go ahead and make you two a pizza for tonight." Elsa cheered, rushing off to her room with Sylvia in tow.

* * *

**A/N: Next Chapter: Slumber Party! :D Let's see how dear James reacts, shall we? I hope that you all are still enjoying this; I know I'm enjoying writing it.**

**Thanks to Fall-chan for loaning my Sylvia-chan. I don't own Sylvia or Soul Eater.**

**Love you all! Thanks for the Reviews, PMS, etc. :)**

**/Lialane**


	16. Slumber Party

Elsa pulled Sylvia into her room, shutting the door behind them. She grinned at Sylvia and whispered,_ "I have an idea of what we should do tonight!"_

"_Why are we whispering, Elsa?"_ Sylvia replied.

"_What are the chances that my daddy isn't listening at the door?" _Elsa giggled. _"We're going to catch him!"_

Sylvia took an experimental sniff. She giggled as she realized that she could indeed smell him.

"_How, Elsa-san?"_

"_-chan!" _Elsa hissed. Sylvia giggled. _"He can see us just like I can see him, but what we have to do is ambush him. Wait until he gets tired and then take him down. It won't be hard, if I hit his legs and you get his waist."_

Sylvia stared. _"You mean seriously take him down?"_

"_Of course I do, silly! If we do that then we can tie him up and then mother and us can eat all the ice cream and cookies we want! Daddy will put a stop to it if we don't first." _Both girls collapsed into giggles. _"What we have to do is simple. We'll fling the door open, rush out and-"_ Both girls shrieked as the door flew open and the light went out.

Stein burst into the room, chuckling to himself, a smirk on his face. He had heard their entire plan, and was going to scare the notion out of them. Moving to the bed quickly he grabbed Elsa around the waist, tickling her sides.

"Neechan!" Elsa shrieked out, giggling. Stein lifted her, throwing the girl over his shoulder easily, then hesitated for a second before lashing out at Sylvia, tickling her sides. Sylvia collapsed on the bed, giggling and squirming. Elsa grinned as she beat her fists ineffectually against her father's back, her feet kicking even as the hand holding her tickled against her side and she fought another bout of giggles. Deliberately she reached up and cranked the screw in Stein's head.

Stein stopped immediately, sitting Elsa on the bed. "Elsa, never do that again. Do you understand me?" Elsa shuddered; his voice colder than she had ever heard it. Sylvia scooted further back on the bed.

"I'm sorry, daddy. I won't do that again. I promise." She said quietly. Stein reached up and twisted the screw again, then made two more rotations with it, shaking his head slightly.

"Now then, I believe that I heard the two of you plotting against me. That will not be tolerated in this lab!" Stein smirked as Elsa shrieked and leapt at him from off the bed. He caught her in midair, holding her sideways against his side, tickling her. He was slightly shocked when he felt Sylvia hit his midsection, her legs tangling around one of his.

Stein fell as the two girls laughed, Elsa somehow managing to wriggle out of his grasp. He looked up, or rather, down his body, to see Elsa sitting on his chest and Sylvia looking over Elsa's shoulder from her position on his legs. They were giggling almost hysterically.

Elsa's door swung open and the light flicked on. Marie stood framed in the doorway, and as Stein looked at her for help she simply covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold in a laugh.

"Marie? Some assistance?" Stein asked. Marie just burst into harder laughter, tears streaming down her face. "I see how it is." Stein said. "It'd be different if I wasn't the only male."

"Pizza's ready, girls. You can stop beating Stein up for a while, I'm sure that he'll be a better challenge once all of you aren't half starved." Marie giggled.

"Mother, wait!" Elsa said as Marie turned to leave. "We have to tie him up. If we don't, he'll get away from us again." Elsa's face was completely serious and Stein couldn't help but chuckle.

Marie stopped in the doorway, and the glint in her eye worried Stein immensely. She smiled at Elsa as she left. "I have just the thing, girls."

* * *

Stein lay on the floor in Elsa's room, a pair of handcuffs around his wrists and ankles. He just shook his head. _'This is not what I bought these for.'_ He thought to himself with a smirk. He looked at the paper plate beside his head. On it were a couple slices of pizza and beside that was a cup, complete with a lid and a bendable straw, filled with liquid.

'_Maybe telling the girls that when I got out of here I'd throw away all the sweets was a bad idea, even in jest.'_ Marie had been the one who actually handcuffed him. Stein sighed, and squirmed over to the still hot pizza, carefully taking a bite before sipping through the straw.

Elsa and Sylvia giggled from behind the door, watching him through the key hole.

* * *

James was silent the ride home, his arm cradled against his chest. He didn't really feel any pain right now, which was nice, but it was annoying to have to cut the games short because of him. James sighed.

"What's up, Jimmy?" Spirit asked, teasing the boy, and was rewarded when James snarled his nose at the name. Spirit couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, James, what's bothering you?"

"I just hate that I ruined the game for the girls. I wasn't even hurt that badly…" He said, his voice trailing off as he spoke.

"Don't worry about it, James; we were going to have to leave after that game anyway. Besides, you really showed how well you could handle yourself- you may have screamed when it first happened, but you didn't slip into shock or anything. I- We are proud of you." Spirit smiled into the rear view mirror as Azusa just nodded.

"Really?" James asked.

"Really." Azusa answered.

Once they arrived at home, James opted to go to bed. He was tired from the long day, and his arm was starting to hurt some. Closing his eyes, he sank down into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

_James opened his eyes to find himself in an unfamiliar area. The walls were a uniform grey, made of what seemed like concrete. There were cells set into the one wall, and a large desk in the middle of the room. A small sofa sat along the wall, and there was a small floor lamp beside the brown sofa, its shade a plain white, letting James see the bulb through it. There were labels above the cells, and creatures inside them. James walked to the first one, reading the label. _

"Failure."

_Inside the cell sat a child, perhaps nine or ten, weeping miserably. "Hello?" James called, testing the cell door and finding it locked. "Hello, who are you? How do I let you out?"_

_The child looked up and James stumbled back. He was staring into his own face. As he met the child's eyes a shock of memory flew through him. Elsa, pulling away from him. Elsa, being slammed against her father's chest. Elsa, in pain and nearly dead because he hadn't acted fast enough. James hit his knees, weeping at the memory. He lost track of how long he sat there._

_Finally, feeling his eyes dry, he stood and moved to the next cell. Above it was another label, this one reading:_

"Irresponsibility."

_Inside this cell sat another child. 'Me.' James realized. This one was a little older than the last, but instead of crying was yelling at the door to the cell. James couldn't hear what was being said, but when he met the child's eyes again, he had another flash of memory. This time he saw himself sneaking out of his own room and running off to see Elsa. He shook his head at how stupid that was._

_He looked at the other cells, reading through their plaques, smiling sometimes as he remembered what the plaques signified, wanting to cry at other times. He came to the last one and gasped._

_The plaque read _"Love."

_Sitting inside wasn't himself, but Elsa. She was maybe five, and as he met her eyes, he remembered holding her as she cried and blushed._

* * *

Stein fell asleep on the floor in Elsa's room. He had decided to let her and Sylvia have their fun with having him tied up and stayed put. What woke him was the feeling of something cold and wet on his face. He opened his eyes to look up into Marie, Elsa and Sylvia's faces. Marie was trying not to laugh, but the girls didn't have enough self-control not to yet. He went to move his hand and found that he was still bound.

"What are you three doing?" He asked.

Sylvia smiled and Elsa held up a small brush. Marie smirked. "Don't worry, _love_, it's something you'll forgive me for later." Marie picked up a small hand mirror and breathed on it, scribbling '42-42-564' into the fog, facing it towards Stein.

"Heya, heya, heya! Wazzup, wazzup, wazzup!" Came Lord Death's voice from the mirror and then silence. Stein could almost see the laughter behind the shinigami's mask. "Um, Stein?" He said after a second.

"Yes, Lord Death?" Stein tried to keep his face straight even as he heard an all too familiar snicker from the background.

Spirit's head popped into the range of the mirror. "What happened to you, Stein?! I left Sylvia with you and you look like a clown!"

Stein seethed a bit. "Well, Senpai, I would beware sleeping around Sylvia, if what happened to me was any indication." He said, smirking.

Marie dropped the mirror to the ground as the trio of females broke into laughter. When she picked it up and let Stein see his reflection he couldn't do anything more than stare in shock.

His lips were a ruby red. He had blue eye shadow and green eyeliner on. His cheeks were dusted with a light orange color. The most telling thing though was the concealer that had been smeared over his stitches and smoothed into his skin, almost completely obscuring the scar. He assumed that that was what had woke him.

He shook his head in disbelief. "What did you three do?"

"We played dress up!" Elsa crowed happily.

"Dress… up?" Stein involuntarily glanced down. He was wearing one of Marie's dresses, and it barely reached his knees. "How did you change me?!"

Marie grinned, "Some things you're just not meant to know." The girls howled with laughter.

They left the room there, and Stein sighed. "I'm still tied up!" He called after them.

Marie's laugh answered him. "But you're beautiful!" The door shut.

Stein just sighed. He didn't want to break the handcuffs; they were too useful at other times. He felt himself smirk, and pushed the thoughts away. He staggered to his feet, hopping carefully to the door before struggling to turn the knob. He finally got it open and hopped across the hall to his and Marie's room, intent on getting the key.

Reaching it, he once again struggled to open the door knob, and then hopped to the nightstand. Pulling it open with a couple of hops back, he stared in not quite disbelief that the key was missing. He heard a quiet giggle from behind him and turned to look at its source.

Marie stood in the doorway, twirling the key around her finger. "Looking for this, hot stuff?" She said with a wink.

Stein couldn't fight back a sarcastic laugh at that. She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "The girls are downstairs watching a movie now. The lab is locked up, and we have some time. I've always wondered what it would be like to bed a woman." Marie said seductively.

Stein couldn't help but laugh at the way she swayed over to him, but it was cut short when she pressed her lips against his. His lipstick rubbed off on her lips as she pulled back, bending down to undo the cuffs around his ankles, and he held his hands out. She just grinned, slipping one cuff of the removed handcuffs around the chain on the ones that held his hands and pushing him back so she could cuff him to the headboard of the bed.

With a smirk he realized the game, and found that for once, he didn't mind it.

* * *

Elsa and Sylvia sat watching the movie for a while before Elsa started yawning. She fought sleep as long as she could, but eventually fell asleep, leaning against Sylvia's shoulder. Sylvia watched the movie for a while and giggled when she realized that Elsa had managed to scoot to where she was laying spread out on the couch, her head in Sylvia's lap. Sylvia yawned and didn't bother to move Elsa as her own eyes drooped in sleep.

* * *

_Elsa opened her eyes, and found herself sitting on a brown sofa in an odd place. She smiled as she saw James, and stood, rushing over to him where he stood in front of… a cell? She saw more of them as she approached, each one with a label._

"_What are these, James? Where are we?" He looked over at her and she watched as he blushed. She looked down and found that she was wearing a beautiful gold dress, her silver hair in a complicated hairdo instead of its normal pigtails. She was also wearing a pair of gold and silver heels, and she felt a chain around her neck, and glanced down to see jewelry._

_He was nowhere near as dressed up as she was. In fact… his attire was almost like a prison warden's would be. She stepped closer to him, and looked into the room that he had been looking at. She took an unwilling step backwards as she saw a younger version of herself in the room. Looking at the plaque labeling it she saw the title on the room._

"Love."

_James took a deep breath. "Welcome to my special room, apparently, Elsa. I guess it's pretty weird too."_

* * *

**A/N: Thanks again to Fall-chan for beta'ing this for me. Also, thanks for letting me use her Sylvia :) I don't own Soul Eater, either.  
**

**I hope that you enjoyed this entry. Love you all! Thanks for the reviews, PMs, etc.  
**

**Also- a rl friend of mine has drawn Elsa, and is going to colorize her for us before I give you all the link- but she did a killer job!  
**


	17. Trust and Sacrifice

**A/N: Thank you all for 1000 views on this story. At the time of posting, there are 47 reviews- but the previous chapter was only up for a few hours.**

* * *

_Elsa just stared at James. "James… why is there a little me inside the cell labeled 'Love'?"_

_James just shrugged. "I don't know, Elsa. You are my imouto though, so I guess that it makes sense."_

_She just turned and looked around. "Do you love me, James?" James looked at her curiously. Her voice was suddenly different. Older, colder. _

"_Of course I do, Elsa. You're my imouto." James smiled, moving so that he could look her in the face again. _

_There was a look in her eyes that James had only seen once before, during their first game of Don't Get Hit. "Are you alright, Elsa?" He asked when she didn't respond to his answer._

"_This is a very interesting place you dwell in, James. You keep pieces of yourself locked away so you never forget, don't you? That's why there are versions of yourself, and even one of my younger selves inside those cells. You lock them away so they don't overwhelm you." James shuddered at the tone she had, the look in her eyes._

"_Elsa, are you alright?" He asked again._

"_Of course I am, James." She said evenly. "I was simply answering my earlier question and making a statement." She looked at the cells again, and took a step towards the one that held her younger self in it. "You hide your love. Is it out of a desire to protect me even more than you already do?" She said, musing to herself. _

_James stepped behind her, placing a hand on the shorter child's shoulder. "Elsa, what's wrong with you?" He whispered._

"_I'm seeing things clearly for the few seconds I can. Soon I won't be able to anymore." She said, and he looked at her closely. He lost his balance when everything seemed to shudder, almost like an earthquake. He grabbed for Elsa, but then he realized that she hadn't even moved. Another tremor hit and James fell to the ground, watching as Elsa didn't even rock._

"_Elsa?" He asked, bracing himself again. With an awful tearing sensation, everything went black. _

"_Elsa!" James screamed into the darkness. Nothing answered him. He fought against the blackness, screaming her name over and over. He finally received a response._

"_You love me, James. But neither of us will realize that when we wake up again." The voice was still older, but instead of the coldness there was an immense sadness in it. "I'll never be able to see it. I'm sorry, James."_

_The light finally reappeared, and James blinked as he realized he was looking up into a bare bulb. He could feel cold metal against his arms, the cold seeping through the… 'Scrubs? I'm back in the scrubs that I wear in Elsa's place…' James realized suddenly._

"_Elsa?" He called out, looking around. He was back in the operating theater. As his eyes finally adjusted he saw Elsa standing above him. "Elsa, what are you going to do?" He was suddenly aware of the restraints on his arms and legs. She just hovered above him with blank eyes, and he saw the glint of metal in her hand._

"_Elsa?!"_

* * *

Stein awoke the next morning and sighed contentedly, Marie curled up against him, still fast asleep. He smirked as he looked at the lipstick smeared against her neck, bits of it reaching as far down as her stomach before fading completely. He rubbed a hand against his face, grimacing slightly at the feel of the sticky makeup, and disentangled himself from Marie, walking to the bathroom to clean up and shower.

He was halfway through when the scream tore through the house, followed by Sylvia's voice yelling Elsa's name. Stein jumped soaking wet out of the shower. He barely remembered to grab his robe as he darted to the living room.

He rushed down the stairs, and found Elsa sobbing against Sylvia. As soon as he entered Elsa jerked away from Sylvia and rushed him, burying her head into his waist, a fresh round of tears escaping her. Sylvia sat on the couch, her hands in her lap, her head looking down at them.

"Elsa has nightmares sometimes, Sylvia. I'm sorry if she had one and woke you." Stein said, a droplet of water dripping off his nose and onto Elsa's head. He knelt down beside her as Marie entered the room. "Elsa, what happened?"

Elsa just shook her head, desperately wiping tears from her face. "I… I don't know dad…" She whispered.

'_Dad.'_ Stein repeated. _'She's never called me just dad before. Whatever this dream was, it was bad.'_ He placed his hands on her shoulders as she sniffled. "You don't remember, Elsa?" He asked.

"Only snippets…" She whispered, looking over her shoulder at Sylvia. "It had something to do with James, I know that much… but… I don't know what, just that it was terrible and scary and painful for both of us." She sniffled.

Marie knelt down beside her now, prying her away from Stein. She looked up at Stein and mouthed "Finish your shower." He looked at Elsa, who was now clutching her mother and just nodded.

* * *

James woke in a cold sweat, his left arm itching unbearably. Without thinking he reached down and scratched at, realizing just a second after that there should be pain. There was none, just relief as he scratched. He stole a glance at his arm and saw that he had removed the gauze sometime during the night. He also saw the lack of burns on his arms.

"MOM, DAD!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Both of his parents burst into the room, looking worried. He just held his arm out. Both of his parents came over to inspect it, and both of them gasped.

Spirit looked at Azusa. "I'll call Stein." He said, leaving the room.

Azusa held James' arm in her hand, running a thumb over the almost completely healed skin, just a few pink splotches remained where the worst of the burns had been.

Spirit grabbed the phone they kept in their bedroom and dialed Stein's number, listening impatiently as it rang.

"_Hello?"_ Marie's voice.

"Hey, Marie, I need to talk to Stein." Spirit said.

"_He's in the shower, Spirit. Can you call back in about ten minutes?"_

"Mind if we come over early? We've got something we've got to show Stein. It's pretty important."

"_That's fine, Spirit. I'll cook extra for breakfast again."_ Spirit could literally hear the smile in Marie's voice.

"Thanks, Marie. We'll be over soon." Spirit hung up, walking back into James' room. "Get ready, we're going to go on and go over to Stein's early." Azusa just nodded.

"Mom?" James said quietly after Spirit had left.

"Yes, James?" She asked, adjusting her glasses.

"I had a dream. More like a nightmare." He looked sidelong at her. "I started in a room with a lot of cells. Then Elsa showed up and we were in her special room suddenly, but I was on an operating table. I saw the scalpel descend towards my arm, and that's when I woke up."

"You think the two are connected." Azusa said.

James just looked down at his arm. "I don't see how they could be… but yes…" He stopped talking as his father entered the room.

"Come on, get dressed, James. Let's go." James quickly got dressed and the trio left.

* * *

Stein had finished showering when they got there, and was sitting in the lab, with Elsa on a table. Sylvia stood nervously beside them. There were wires hanging from her head, attached to a machine that was printing a read out on Stein's computer. Marie led them in, and Spirit stopped in his tracks.

"Is Elsa alright?" Azusa asked, "We didn't have to come now if you had told us that something was wrong with Elsa."

"She's fine, Azusa." Marie said smiling. "She had some nightmares and you know how Stein is. He's just taking some readings now."

"What was it that you needed to show me, Senpai?" Stein asked, looking up from the computer screen.

"James, show Stein your arm." James stepped over to stand in front of Stein and held out his left arm. Stein took it in his hands and looked it over.

"The burns are gone. How fascinating. When did this happen?" He asked, looking up at Spirit and Azusa.

"Sometime during the night. We woke to him shouting for us, and when we entered his room the burns were gone." Azusa said, walking to stand next to her son, one hand on his shoulder as she answered.

"Well, I can run some tests if you want, but I have to say that just from a cursory examination it would appear that he's fine." Stein said turning back to his computer.

"That's great!" James smiled, flexing his arm.

Sylvia smiled too, from where she stood beside Elsa. "I'm really glad that I didn't injure you permanently, James-san." James smiled at her.

Elsa didn't react at all to the presence of the three new people in the room. She just stayed staring at the ceiling. James came over to look at her as the adults stepped out of the lab to talk.

"Are you alright, Elsa?" James asked quietly, looking over at Sylvia. There was no response from the girl. "Elsa, talk to us. Are you alright."

Elsa wasn't really there. The readings on the machine were coming out odd, and she was deep in her own mind, trying to patch the events of her dream together.

"James, I'm going to go get a drink of water for us all, alright?" Sylvia asked, her greyish-purple eyes watching Elsa closely.

"Alright, Sylvia." James reached out and took Elsa's hand in his as Sylvia left. "You were right in my dream last night, Elsa. I do love you and want to protect you. You're my imouto. But if you won't talk to me anymore I can't." Recognition sparked in the girl's eyes and she turned to look at him.

"_I can't remember the dream, James. It's like something blocked it all out after I looked in the first cell."_ She whispered, tears in her eyes. _"I want so desperately to remember, but it's all gone. All of it. I'm so sorry…" _

"Elsa, don't be sorry." James squeezed her hand. "I remember it. I can tell you everything about it."

Tears streamed down her cheeks. _"What if I didn't want to remember it, James? What if I did something so horrible in it that I didn't want to remember? What if I said something I shouldn't have? What if that __**feeling**__ overtook me again?" _She looked up at him and her eyes were wild. _"What if I tried to dissect you?!"_

"Do you want to see what you did last night, Elsa?" James asked quietly. She trembled and forced herself to nod. James held his arm up to the light so she could see it. "Elsa, I don't know how you did it, but you did it, imouto. You fixed my arm last night."

A giggle rose in her chest, and Elsa tried to fight it. She lost the battle, laughter rolling out of her without a care. She pulled her hand from James' and rolled onto her side, wrapping her arms around her stomach as she laughed and couldn't stop. She threw her head back as she laughed and James swore he could hear her neck crack as she did.

"Professor Stein!" James voice cracked as he took a step back from Elsa. He could sense something in her that shouldn't be. It was wrong. "HELP!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as Elsa slid off the table, pulling the wires from her head as stood.

She craned her head to look over her shoulder at him, her mouth twisted into a maniacal grin. "Hello, James." She crooned, "I've missed you. You're so interesting, you know. I think I love you, but I don't know it. You see, I'll never know." A spasm of giggles rolled through the child as she stumbled over to her father's desk.

Tilting her head to the side she tittered, one hand reaching out to open the drawer, the grin on her face growing larger as she found what she was looking for. "It's so shiny." She crooned again. "So perfect." James took a step towards her, suddenly afraid that she would hurt herself and not him. She craned her head to look over her shoulder and he saw the fear hidden deep in her eyes.

"Elsa…" He said tentatively, taking another step towards her as the door to the lab burst open. Stein stood framed in it, and before James could register his presence he was at his daughter's side, wresting the scalpel from her hands even as the girl was bringing it towards her chest.

"MARIE!" James had never heard Stein scream before; it was a terrifying sound and he stepped back. Marie and James' parents followed a second later. Azusa grabbed James, pulling him against her. Spirit followed Marie to Elsa. Sylvia slipped into the room, watching it all as Elsa continued screaming out in rage.

Stein held Elsa in his arms, pinning her arms to her side, and all of them could see the energy sparking around her small hands as she struggled against her father, hitting him ineffectually. Azusa shuddered, remembering the pain of Stein's _Soul Menace_ all too well. Marie sat across from him and took Elsa into her arms. The two children watched in awe as Marie started to glow a soft gold, and after a second, the glow settled around Elsa as well.

Elsa calmed in her mother's arms, her breathing slowing as she broke into tears. _"I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry… I tried daddy… I tried… I didn't mean to break my promise… I'm so sorry…"_ She kept repeating.

Stein tilted her head to look at him. "What were you trying to do, Elsa?"

His daughter stopped sniffling for a second, and it was obvious that she was thinking. She glanced over where James stood with Azusa. And tears slipped from her eyes.

"_I had a choice… I could either cut him out of my heart or cut his heart out…"_

* * *

**A/N: :D So much happened, even if it doesn't seem like it! I honestly loved writing this chapter, once I got past a small bit of writer's block. I don't own Sylvia-chan or Soul Eater. Thanks goes to Fall-chan for inspiring me to keep writing – and everyone else who reviews and sends me PMs about this. I love all of you and I appreciate every single word. Also, thanks to everyone who has favorited/followed this. Even if you don't review, I really really appreciate the fact that you enjoy this enough to read it.**

**ALSO- 47 reviews and over 1000 views with nearly 300 unique readers at the time of this posting, for JUST **_**ELSA**_**. Thank you all so much. Love you all!**


	18. The Birds, The Bees and New OCs

"_I had a choice… I could either cut him out of my heart or cut his heart out…" _

There was silence, punctuated only by Elsa's quiet sobs. She buried her head into her mother's stomach, her body wracked by the sobs, everyone looking at her.

"Elsa…" James' voice came from beside her. No one had noticed him move up. The girl looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. He bent and wrapped his arms around her. She clung to him just like she had that first day, sobbing. _"Thank you."_ He whispered into her hair, knowing that she had done everything she could to protect him. _"I'm going to be your weapon though; I'm supposed to protect you, not the other way around, imouto. Do you understand?"_ He whispered so that only she could hear. She nodded against his chest, her tears subsiding.

Stein and Marie shared a look, and then looked down at Elsa. Spirit sat his hand on James' shoulder. "I think it's best if we go, James. Give her time to calm down." James just nodded and started to stand, but Elsa tightened her grip on him, fear in her eyes as she looked up at him; there were tears welling up again. She suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and stood, pressing her lips briefly to his.

James was paralyzed by shock. Elsa's face was a brilliant shade of red as she rushed past him; as she passed Sylvia, Sylvia's faint smile widened into a distinctly draconic grin, _"My, my, I thought someone had cooties? Just so you know, they don't exist."_ She whispered. Elsa's blush deepened and she darted past Sylvia, up the steps to her room. The door slammed. James blushed and looked down at his feet.

Spirit's laughter broke the awkward silence. It was loud, boisterous, and completely out of place. "Now we KNOW that you're my son!" Spirit managed to gasp out through the laughs and even Marie and Azusa were left giggling.

Stein smirked. "James?" He said.

James lifted his head to look at the scientist. "Yes, sir?" He said, gulping.

"Don't think that because she kissed you that means I won't dissect you still." James went pale.

* * *

Elsa sat in the middle of her room, her knees pulled up to her chest, one hand on her lips. _'What did I just do? He's my onii-chan!'_ A small voice reminded her that he was her best friend, not her brother and she shook her head, her loose hair flying around her face.

'_He's my onii-chan!'_ She repeatedly stubbornly even as the voice repeated that he was just a friend, not family.

A quiet knock interrupted her thoughts. "Elsa?" Her mother's voice came from the door. "Can I come in, sweetie?"

Elsa looked at her knees, not answering for a second. The door opened anyway and Marie walked in. Elsa could see her father standing in the doorway as well, but Marie shut the door in his face. The look of surprise on it was visible for just a second before the door shut all the way and Elsa couldn't help but giggle.

Marie glanced over her shoulder when she heard the knob start to turn. "Franken, if you don't go down to your lab and stay there right this minute you won't like the repercussions." The knob silenced and they both heard footsteps retreating down the stairs.

"Now then, Elsa, I guess I have to have a talk with you. Be happy, your father wanted to." Marie smiled sweetly.

"Mother, I'm sorry." Elsa said immediately.

"For what?" Marie laughed. "You have no idea how glad I am that you are having those feelings! Do you know how long it took your father to be able to admit to them?"

Elsa blushed. "I'm not having any feelings…" She muttered, looking back down at her knees.

Marie giggled. "You just kissed your best friend, Elsa, I'm pretty sure that you are."

"I don't know why I did…" Elsa trailed off.

'_You know exactly why you did…'_ A voice whispered to her. _'You love James, but you refuse to admit to it. You won't let yourself see it. That's why you did that.'_

"_Shut up."_ She told it, closing her eyes.

'_Elsa and James, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g…' _ The voice giggled in her head.

"_Shut up!" _ She screamed at it, missing the talk that her mother was giving her. She realized suddenly that Marie was waiting for a response. Hoping it was the right one she nodded.

"Now I know you weren't listening, Elsa." Marie said. "You just agreed that the sky was green, grass is blue, and I'm your favorite parent."

"I do love you, mother!" Elsa exclaimed.

Marie smiled. "I know you do, Elsa, but you're your father's daughter, that's for sure. Now then, unless you want him to have the birds and the bees discussion with you, you should pay attention, alright?" Elsa nodded.

The next hour was incredibly enlightening.

* * *

"So, James." Spirit's voice came from the front seat. "How did you like your first kiss?" Azusa glared over at Spirit who couldn't keep from laughing.

James hunkered down into his seat and even Sylvia couldn't help but smirk a bit. She leaned over and whispered to the boy, _"Don't worry, it was only Elsa. It isn't like her dad's going to try to dissect you or anything. Oh no, he wouldn't do that."_

James just sighed, glancing at Sylvia out of the corner of his eyes. _"Yeah, well… at least I've had a kiss."_ He responded, trying to goad Sylvia. She just grinned.

"_Who says I didn't have a kiss before I moved in with you? You've only known me for a year, onii-san!"_ James rolled his eyes, but a smile now played at his lips.

Spirit tried again. "So, James… enjoy your first kiss?" There was a glint in Spirit's eyes.

"Oh, shut up, dad." Azusa and Sylvia burst out laughing.

* * *

The next day Sylvia and James showed up again for more training at the lab, and couldn't help but laugh. Elsa was dressed… well, very strange. Instead of her normal dresses, or even the dresses that were covered in stitches, she was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt. There was no fluff to the outfit at all, and Elsa looked distinctly uncomfortable in it. She kept scuffing her black tennis shoes together and toying with the hair that was, for a distinct change, pulled into a ponytail instead of pigtails. As they arrived, Marie helped Elsa pull the hair up underneath a baseball cap.

"Aright, today's going to be different. You all have done quite a bit of lone training, with just the three of you. Today you're going to meet some individuals that, while older than you, are at your level of training. These two people will be your opponents for the day. The goal is to avoid them at all costs. You are not to engage them unless absolutely necessary. There's a change of clothing inside for you two. You won't want to run the risk of messing up your clothing for this." Stein said.

As Sylvia and James went inside to change, Spirit walked over to Stein with Azusa and asked what they were both thinking about. "So, who are these two 'individuals' Stein? Shibusen students?"

"Actually, yes. They're a pair of NOT students that are wanting to go into the EAT class with the new semester- the same semester that the kids will be entering the EAT class." Stein said, light glinting off his glasses.

"Well, where are they?" He asked, noting belatedly that Marie was missing.

"Marie has gone to pick them up so they don't get lost." Stein said.

"Do you really think that that is safe?! You know how bad Marie's sense of direction is, Stein." Azusa said.

Stein smirked. "Don't worry. I bought her a GPS so that she wouldn't get lost."

* * *

Thirty minutes later the children were all changed and Marie had returned with the new individuals. One was a weapon, the other a meister, and they were older than even James. The meister of the group, who was introduced as Trevor was maybe 14, skinny and tall. His weapon partner, Artemis, was the opposite. She was short, and while not fat was not anorexic-ly thin like her meister. She might have been the same age or a year younger than him.

Elsa stared at Artemis, giggling slightly at the fact that the girl had silver hair and purple eyes. Not silver like her dad and her hair either, this was almost platinum, catching the light and reflecting it. In contrast, her meister's dirt brown hair was plain and ordinary, almost ugly compared to the beauty of his weapon partner.

"Well, now that introductions are out of the way, here are the rules to this little engagement." Stein said. "Artemis, Trevor, you two will be hunting our children. Avoid anything that might cause a great deal of harm- but keep in mind that these three have had more training than the two of you so far. Their goal is to keep away from you, as such they aren't to engage unless necessary. The five of you will keep this up until you hear Azusa telling you to stop. Understand?" The five children just nodded.

Artemis nodded, transforming into a trident like weapon which Trevor spun a few times before weighing carefully in his palm. His face perfectly straight he murmured something under his breath to Artemis.

"_Your balance is off again. You need to correct that, Artemis." _ An exasperated sigh came from the trident as she took human form again, then transformed back. An experimental bounce in his hand and Trevor nodded, satisfied.

"How long will they have to hide?" Trevor asked, watching the three younger children.

"They will have a five minute head start." Marie said. "And one last thing- I know that most of you can sense, in some fashion or another, the souls of those around you. Don't rely on that, don't use it all."

All of the children nodded, and Trevor closed his eyes, timing how long until he could go hunting.

* * *

Precisely five minutes later Trevor opened his eyes. The adults stood in front of him and he looked at each of them in turn. He smirked a bit when he saw Marie's eyes dart towards the house. He bowed to her, Artemis held firmly in his hand as he darted quickly towards the house.

"If you break anything in there, you will have to replace it!" Marie shouted after him, a grin on her face.

"Don't worry, Marie-sensei!" The boy shouted back. "I'll find them all and not break a thing!" He boasted.

* * *

Elsa held James in her left hand, Sylvia on her right arm. Elsa stole a glance down at Sylvia in her full weapon form and giggled, quickly hushing herself. Sylvia's voice echoed in her mind, reminding her that she had to be quiet even as she and James were having a conversation about the merits of hiding inside versus outside.

"_Would you two be quiet? I can't hear if he's coming or not!" _Elsa hissed. Laughter echoed in her head and she just shook her head, as if she could block them out with the movement. A second later she heard the tell-tale creak of a board on the steps. Raising the window in her room, Elsa took a deep breath and jumped out if, hitting the ground she rolled and ducked around the side of the lab, out of sight of the now open window.

* * *

Trevor froze, hearing the faintest of sounds from the room in front of him. He counted his breaths, waiting until the fifth intake of air to reach out with his left hand, throwing the door open and staring into a seemingly empty room. Standing still, he kept himself from searching for nearby souls, focusing instead on his senses. Looking, listening, feeling the air around him, before searching quickly.

It was empty. Cursing under his breath, Trevor looked towards the empty window, only to hear Artemis giggle as he dropped out of the window and to the ground. His landing, while graceful, wasn't as well as Elsa's, which was fortunate for the boy. A smile tugged at his lips as he saw the prints where she had landed. A second of searching found a print leading away and around the lab. Trevor darted, staying close to the lab's wall.

* * *

She heard him coming. He was being quiet, yes, but she knew every sound that happened here, and this one was new. Too rhythmic to be anything except the person tracking her and the others. She felt something stir, some excitement that she hadn't expected. Elsa felt a grin crawl across her face. Taking a deep breath she fought the impulse, darting out of her cover, making a break for the wall.

Trevor saw her and gave a short, cynical laugh. Taking three running steps he drew his right arm back, throwing Artemis at the running child. _'Children.'_ He mentally corrected himself, noting the weapons on Elsa's arm and in her hand. Elsa darted to the side as Artemis hit human form beside her, but wasn't quick enough. One of Artemis' hands closed around Elsa's right arm. A quick tug and a jerk freed Elsa, but Artemis was close enough to tackle the younger girl.

James was in human form a second after that, closely followed by Sylvia as they both appeared together and tackled Artemis, knocking the girl off of Elsa. Trevor broke into a run, shouting for Artemis and her sword form. Artemis stumbled to her feet, darting back towards Trevor, transforming halfway there. Trevor caught the shimmering, electrified sword in his hand as he darted towards the three children.

Stein watched, impressed that their children had managed to break the grapple so quickly. Unfortunately, the children were now against the wall. They would have to engage and either end this or incapacitate the older boy long enough to get away and hide again. Stein smirked. They had the rules to this game, and knowing them, since Azusa hadn't told them to stop, they would find a way to elude the older children.

Elsa rolled out of his path, giggling slightly as he hit the wall behind her. "You're supposed to be faster because you're older!" She taunted, holding her arms out wide as she ran. "Come on you two, we've got to scoot!" She shouted. A blue and a red light filled the area briefly as the other two took their weapon forms and Elsa ran.

Unfortunately, Trevor was fast, and he managed to catch up with Elsa, knocking her to the ground, burying Artemis in the ground beside Elsa's head. He smirked. "I caught you."

"Good luck keeping ahold of me!" Elsa grinned, a feeling rushing over her that she couldn't stop as she pushed James against the older boy's stomach and pulled the trigger. Trevor was blasted off of her, cursing as he barely managed to land on his feet. Before Artemis could even transform back, Elsa was back on her feet, giggling as she ran off, disappearing behind the lab.

"Azusa." Stein said simply.

Azusa nodded. "Senrigan!" Her eyes, going wide.

Each of the children heard her then. "This training session is over. Everyone please return."

It didn't take long, though James and Sylvia walked back with Elsa in their human forms. Elsa looked over at Trevor for a second. "I'm sorry you weren't fast enough to dodge that." She said. Marie gave her a stern look and Stein couldn't help but chuckle.

"Marie, we told them not to engage unless it was necessary and you could see as well as I did that it was necessary in that instance." Marie just rolled her eyes.

"It's alright. I'm fine." Trevor said, his face neutral again.

"You all did very well this time. Trevor, Artemis, we did warn you that our children were trained a bit more than you had anticipated." Trevor gritted his teeth at that. "If you wish to try this again, you are both welcome to return. I know that you're working on acceptance to the EAT class, so this may help you there."

Artemis smiled, supporting her meister. "We appreciate the offer, Hakase Stein!" Trevor just inclined his head.

"Now then!" Marie said, smiling, "Let's all go and get something for lunch!" A cheer went up among the crowd.

* * *

Marie sat at the table across from Azusa. The men were outside with Elsa, James and Sylvia, sparring some as the women stayed in doors to talk.

"So, what was it that you wanted to tell us, Azusa?" Marie said stirring some sugar into her tea.

"Well, Marie, Spirit and I are thinking about adopting Sylvia."

"You two haven't already?" Marie looked surprised.

"Lord Death was supposed to be finding her a permanent home. Apparently he never looked for one after placing her with us, and since she's assimilated very well, we figured that we could go ahead and adopt her. She's good friends with Elsa and James anyway." Azusa smiled into her cup of tea.

The same cup of tea that Marie nearly spilled as she grabbed her friend in a huge hug. "I'm so happy for all of you!" She gushed, squeezing the black haired death scythe so tightly that she could barely breathe.

* * *

**A/N: I don't own Sylvia, Trevor, or Artemis. Sylvia belongs to Fall-chan, Trevor and Artemis to greekhuntress101. Thank you for letting me borrow them. I also don't own Soul Eater.**

**I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, especially the JamesxElsa fluff.**

**Also, poll up on my profile for shipping purposes. Please answer! Love you all, thanks for the reviews and PMs! :D**


	19. Shopping Trip

"I don't want to go shopping." Elsa complained when Marie came in to wake her up for their big day.

"You have to have new clothing for school, Elsa. We've discussed this. Your clothing has to meet the DWMA's uniform options and nothing you have right now does." Marie patiently explained to the now ten year old.

"I still don't see why I can't just wear what I want to, mother. The note said that street clothing was alright too." Elsa tried to pull the covers back up over her head.

"You're going to be in the EAT class Elsa. You know that they are held to a higher standard than the NOT class is. Besides, your father and I are going to be your teachers." Marie's hand flew to her mouth as she realized what she had just unwittingly spilled to her daughter.

"You're what?!" Elsa's eyes were large as they peeked from underneath the covers. "You never told me you were going to be my teacher!" Marie just sighed.

"If you don't want your father and I to be your teacher, then you're going to have to transfer to the NOT class before school starts, Elsa. Remember, if you do that, you'll be leaving James and Sylvia though."

Elsa's form shifted underneath the blankets and Marie was reminded of how tall her little girl was getting. A pair of feet poked out the bottom of the bed as Elsa slowly slid out. "Fine. I'll go shopping for a uniform with you, mother, on one condition."

"What's that, Elsa?" Marie asked, relieved.

"That Daddy puts stitches on it." The little girl's eyes flashed mischievously. Marie couldn't help but laugh.

"We'll see after we get the uniform, alright?" Elsa's face scrunched up, and Marie laughed again as her daughter was obviously deep in thought.

"Alright, mother." Marie smiled, grabbing Elsa into a hug and tossing her onto the bed with a laugh.

* * *

Azusa and Sylvia met them at the mall. Elsa grinned when she saw her friend and gave her a quick hug. "Mother says we have to get our uniforms for when the school year starts. Apparently we have to dress up because we're going to be in the EAT class we have to dress up, and not be in street clothes." Elsa looked out the corner of her eyes at her mother, who was just smiling.

"That's what Azusa-sama told me too." Sylvia smiled as she said it, her grin slightly draconic as her eyes darted around the mall.

"Alright, girls. Spirit is taking James shopping for his uniform today and we're supposed to meet them at 3pm for lunch. That means we have…" Azusa looked down to check her wrist watch. "Approximately 5 hours and 43 minutes, minus any time for bathroom breaks." Azusa adjusted her glasses and both children giggled.

"Alright!" Marie smiled. "I know just where to start!" She grabbed Elsa's hand and started heading towards the nearest clothing shop.

The interior of the store was bright pink. Electric neon signs flashed along the walls, pointing out juniors, plus, miss and womens.

"Alright, we're going to start with the one thing that every woman needs, and you two are no exceptions." Both girls looked up at their respective parental unit. "Bras." Elsa covered her chest with her arms and Sylvia sighed.

It took over an hour. At the end of it Elsa was giggling to find out that she actually had to get a 34B while Sylvia was struggling with a 36A. They had to exit the store when, somehow, a small fire seemed to start in the changing room that Elsa had been in. None of them missed the smirk on Sylvia's face as they moved onto the next store.

"This time, no fires." Azusa whispered into Sylvia's ear as she ushered the girl into the changing room with Elsa, her arms full of clothing that would fit into the school's uniform. Another long hour passed as both girls rejected articles of clothing, tossing them out while Azusa and Marie put them back onto hangers and put them on the rack for rejected clothing.

Within seconds of each other, the two girls step out of the changing rooms and look at each other. Sylvia burst out laughing while Elsa fumes at her friend. "What's so funny, Syl-chan?" Elsa hisses at the other girl.

"You look ridiculous!" Sylvia manages to get out between gasps for air.

"Well, look at yourself!" Elsa counters, giggles forming.

Stepping towards a mirror, Elsa drapes her arm across Sylvia's shoulders and they admire the reflection for a second. Elsa was wearing a black pleated skirt that came halfway down to her knee, a white shirt with a yellow tie and had a ¾ sleeve yellow vest over the top of it that was nearly as long as the skirt, only two buttons at the top to button it. The tie disappeared underneath the vest; reappearing once the vest flared out.

Sylvia's skirt on the other hand came down to her knees, and was red. The pleating wasn't as pronounced as Elsa's skirt either. She wore just a long sleeved white sailor shirt with ruffles on the sleeves, the accents in black. The sleeves almost completely covered her hands, and a loosely tied pale yellow tie the only addition to her sailor uniform.

"Is that what you two want to start with?" Marie asked as Azusa just nodded.

"Excellent choices." Was all that Azusa said as the two girls giggled at each other, tugging each other's ties.

"I think that this is what I want, mother!" Sylvia just nodded her agreement.

"Excellent!" Azusa clapped her hands. "Go change, we'll get a couple sets of them; maybe some alternate colors?" Both girls glared at her. "Or not alternate colors." Marie laughed.

"What else are we going to need to actually shop for?" Marie asked Azusa as they sat on a nearby bench and waited on the girls to change back.

"Well, they will both need backpacks, of course. And shoes, I nearly forgot. Though, those shouldn't take too long to find, they're fairly standard, especially with the uniforms the children picked. Do you really think that Elsa should wear something that short?" Azusa asked, looking over at Marie.

"It's her choice, Azusa. It's no shorter than what any of the other girls will be wearing either."

"She's… she takes after you, Marie." Azusa's eyes glanced down at Marie's chest. "The clothing may draw unwanted attention."

"Do you honestly think that Elsa couldn't take care of herself? And just imagine if anyone tries anything when James is near her!" Marie laughed. "That boy would beat them senseless just for looking, yet he won't admit to liking her."

"They're friends, Marie." Azusa adjusted her glasses, the light glinting off of them.

"We'll see how long that lasts, Azusa!"

* * *

James stood still, the tailor measuring his inseam for the uniform that he and his father had settled on.

"You're sure that you want to go with the Gakuran, James?" The boy just nodded, tensing the higher the clerks hands had to come measuring his inseam. Spirit just laughed. "Going with black or some other color, James?" He asked.

"Can they make it in green? Not like grass, but a dark green?" James looked up at his father who glanced down at the clerk.

"Ask him if he will, James."

"Pardon me, Ojīsan; are you able to have this uniform tailored in a dark green for me?" James said politely.

"Of course, young master. I'll be happy to have it made to your specifications." The old man said, a smile crinkling in his eyes as he finished taking James' measurements. Standing, his knees cracking, the old man looked down at James. "You remind me of my own little boy. Polite and respectful. You have a good son, sir." He finished, looking up at Spirit.

Spirit smirked as the man walked off to tally up how much ordering the uniform would. "Your mother would be proud of you, James." James fiddled with his glasses rather than respond.

The number the man brought back for the five uniforms was less than Spirit had expected, but when he started to object the man just put a finger to the side of his nose. "The young master should also take the time to find himself a suitable tie and shoes, if I am not mistaken. The uniforms will be ready this Saturday. If you'd like to follow me, I can recommend some for him." Spirit laughed, following him, James confused by what had just happened.

* * *

At three the six met up, sitting down in the food court. All of the girls had an armful of bags. James and Spirit had one bag between them. It contained three silk ties and two pairs of dress shoes.

"What did you buy?" Spirit asked with a shocked expression on his face.

"Well, Sylvia needed clothing for school. That being what it was, it meant that she needed at least five new outfits, and shoes and accessories for them. I also purchased a few outfits for when she doesn't have to be in her uniform." Azusa stated matter-of-factly, pushing her glasses up. "I take it you and James didn't complete his school shopping?"

"We pick up his suits Saturday. The tailor will be done then." Spirit said, smirking. "We even got him shoes and ties." Azusa just nodded.

Marie and Elsa looked at each other, and then sat all of their bags on the table, making a wall between them and the other family. Sylvia peeked her head around the wall and Elsa giggled, pushing a couple bags back so that Sylvia could join them.

"_What are you two doing?"_ Sylvia whispered.

"_We're planning what we're going to do to Franken and if Spirit overhears it he's sure to blab."_ Marie whispered.

Sylvia popped her head up and over the wall to find the other three individuals staring at the wall. _"I think you've attracted some undue attention."_ She whispered, a draconic grin on her face.

Sure enough, a few seconds later the wall shuddered and started to lose stability. "Spirit Albarn, if you do not stop, I shall explain a certain incident to Azusa that happened not too far in the past." The shaking stopped and when Marie glanced over the top of the wall Spirit was pale as a ghost, Azusa glaring at him.

"What incident would that be, Marie?" Azusa asked, adjusting her glasses.

Marie giggled. "Oh come on Zu-chan, it wouldn't be fair if I told you. I did say I wouldn't if he stopped." Azusa just raised an eyebrow, staring at her husband. As Marie ducked back down behind the wall the wall shuddered again and Marie didn't even bother looking to see who was making it shudder.

"Ask him about two Saturdays ago and why there's a late fee now to the video store."

"Wait, what? How did you even now about that, Marie?!" Spirit blubbered out. "It's not what you think, Azusa! I swear!"

"Would you two like to spend the night?" Marie said sweetly to James and Sylvia, knowing that this had been the plan from the beginning.

All three children agreed, the "fight" between Azusa and Spirit already at full tilt. Marie left then, taking the three children with them.

Spirit and Azusa kept the charade up until Marie and the kids were out of sight. "Thank goodness!" Spirit said, slipping down into his chair.

"I believe that we at least made a good enough impression that they believed us, Spirit." She raised an eyebrow as he stood and towered over her.

"Yes, we did. Now, I believe we had plans, milady?" A grin tugged at his lips and he kissed her to hide it. Azusa just smiled.

* * *

It took some time to unload all of Elsa and Sylvia's clothing from the vehicle. Eventually though it was all deposited in Elsa's bedroom and the kids were clamoring for food. Marie smiled as she made dinner, and was distracted when Stein wrapped his arms around her, stepping close to her with his head resting on her shoulder.

"What do you want, Franken?" She giggled as he exhaled against her neck.

"To dissect you." He said with his mouth positioned beside her ear, one hand running along her side.

Marie flipped around, giving him a quick kiss and then pushed him out of the kitchen. Smiling at him, she mouthed out "Maybe later." before returning to cooking. Marie lost track of time as she made the sauce for the spaghetti, humming to herself.

* * *

Elsa, James and Sylvia were playing an impromptu game of don't get hit when Elsa hit upon an idea. "Why don't we ask my dad to play? It'd be just like when we trained with Trevor and Artemis!"

James and Sylvia looked at each other and both shrugged. "That sounds fine, Elsa, but will he want to play with us?"

"We never know until we ask!" Elsa chimed. Sylvia just nodded.

They walked to where Elsa assured them that she saw her father's glow and Elsa opened the door, slipping in quietly.

"Daddy?" She asked as she got near the computer where he sat.

"What is it, Elsa?" He asked, moving to block something from her view. She darted to his other side to see what it was, her curiosity overcoming her question for a moment.

Her eyes went wide. "I want to help!" She crowed out, James and Sylvia forgotten as she looked at the small mouse sitting on the workbench in front of him.

"Elsa, you have guests. And I'm not dissecting or vivisecting this mouse. I'm performing an experiment on it that you wouldn't be able to assist with." Stein said, placing a small lid over the mouse so she couldn't see it anymore. "What did you need?"

"We wanted to know if you would play with us. We were going to play Don't Get Hit, but thought that the training exercise we did with Artemis and Trevor would be better." Elsa hadn't taken her gaze off of the lidded mouse.

"Alright, Elsa." She blinked and looked up at him. "You'll be hunting me this time, though. Don't use Soul Perception either."

Elsa looked confused for a second as he father stood up to remove his gloves and wash his hands. "You mean where we can see your glow."

"Precisely, Elsa. It's called Soul Perception."

"Soul Perception." She rolled the words around on her tongue. "I'll remember that!" She said happily. "Now let's go! They're waiting on us!" Stein followed his daughter out of the lab.

* * *

**A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this one, with some exceptions.**

***I tried to find how someone would address a Japanese sales clerk and failed miserably. If someone would be kind enough to let me know I'll edit it into the chapter. Ojīsan seemed to be us****ed not only for "grandfather" but also "senior citizen gentleman" so I went with it. **

**I wanted to draw out the shopping experience with Sylvia and Elsa, but honestly, I didn't want to clutter up paragraph after paragraph with descriptions of clothing so I just went with what I did.**

**I don't own Soul Eater or Sylvia. Thanks to Fall for letting me borrow Syl.**

**Thank you all for the reviews, PMs and words of encouragement. I love you all!**

**Also, please vote in the poll on my profile- I'd love to see your opinions on the shipping!  
**


	20. Maturity

Stein walked out of the lab with Elsa, making sure to lock the door behind him. Sylvia and James were already waiting outside, their clothing already changed into their "training uniforms" as they called them.

"Now then, there are a few things different with this exercise." Stein said, shrugging out of his lab coat. "You will be the hunters, not the prey. I will not engage unless absolutely necessary to escape. You will have thirty minutes to find and capture me. Don't hold back. I want to see exactly what you can do!"

With that, Stein darted back into the lab, purposefully shutting and locking the door to the lab, a smirk on his face as he made his way up and into his own room, watching out the window as the children tried to navigate past the first block.

* * *

"He locked us out!" James said exasperatedly. "How are we supposed to catch him if we can't even get inside the lab?"

"That's easy." Elsa said loosely, pushing one hand against the door. James and Sylvia watched as he hand glowed with her wavelength for a second before the door popped open. "I learned how to break a lock a while back… let's just hope that father isn't too upset about it!"

"He is the one who locked it against you, Elsa-san." Sylvia said, "Apparently he wanted to see how we would get into the lab to find him."

* * *

From his upstairs vantage point Stein chuckled, watching the children slip inside the lab seconds before he dropped out of the window, Marie right behind him.

"_Franken, this is hardly fair to them." _She whispered. _"I'm a death scythe and you're still the most powerful weapon meister to ever come from the DWMA."_

"_Oh, I know that, Marie. But we're not playing to play fair; we're playing to teach the children to expect the unexpected. Better they learn from us than to learn in the heat of combat."_

Marie just nodded, switching to her weapon form as Stein held out his arm and the pair darted around behind the lab, Stein following their every movement with his Soul Perception, smiling.

* * *

Elsa held James in her left hand, Sylvia moving in human form at her right side. _'I'm getting pretty adept at using my left hand, Onii-chan.'_ She thought.

'_Doesn't do us much good if we can't even __**find**__ your dad though.'_ He replied.

Elsa just sighed. James was right. This wasn't going to go well for them if they couldn't find him.

"Elsa-san, what if your Otōsan isn't even in the lab anymore? He could have locked the door to make us think he would stay inside." Sylvia asked, looking out of the corner of her eye at Elsa.

Elsa stopped, and then laughed. "Syl-chan, you're right! He's outside, I can guarantee it!" With another laugh Elsa darted into her father's room, and shrieked. "His window is open! He is outside!"

Before anyone could stop her Elsa jumped out of the window, James held tightly in her hand. "Come on, Sylvia!" Elsa giggled even as Sylvia gasped out a warning.

Stein stepped from the corner of lab, rushing James and Elsa, his wavelength crackling against his hands.

Elsa turned, her eyes wide as her father stepped right up on her. "You're supposed to be hiding!" She managed before his hand slammed into her stomach, the force of it knocking her backwards.

"Surprise. Things don't always go according to plan, Elsa. Adapt." Stein smirked at his daughter, his hand flashing towards her again. His eyes widened when she leveled James at him and fired even as his left hand caught her again, this time his wavelength surging into her.

Even as he dissipated James' soul wavelength, his never touched her, and Elsa smirked. "Surprise, father." She said, her voice older. "I've learned a lot from observing how you and mother fight." She darted towards him.

* * *

Marie was laughing at him. _"You thought you were going to surprise her and look at this, Franken, she's the one surprising you!"_

Stein danced back, darting around the corner. _"This isn't funny, Marie. Can't you feel the difference? Elsa's slipping into madness and this time James is resonating with her."_

"_What?!"_

"_Her voice, her movements, her entire attitude. It's not the same. Can't you feel it?"_

Stein could feel the agony flow through Marie as uttered the next words. _"I can't tell the difference, Franken. I'm not a meister, remember?"_

Another blow swung out at Stein and he narrowly back flipped. Having realized that James' wavelength wouldn't be able to affect her father, Elsa had switched to using his bladed form.

Sylvia, in her chibi form, watched from the roof, unsure if she should step in or not.

* * *

James felt like he was drowning. Something was wrong, and he couldn't tell what, but everything he and Elsa tried to do seemed muddied, difficult even if it happened correctly.

"_Elsa? I think we need to stop whatever it is we're doing. Something isn't right…"_ He said to her, shaking his head as he looked at her attacking her father. _"Elsa…"_

"_Shut up, James. Father changed the rules and now we're playing by the new rules instead of the old. We're going adapt the rules of the new." _Elsa's thoughts trailed off into a giggle as she rushed again at her father.

"_Listen to yourself, Elsa! That's your father and you're throwing everything you have against him! Don't you see how much he's holding back against you?" _James pleaded with her.

"_I'm not a weakling! I'm going to be just like him, even if it means I have to play by the new rules and attack him!"_ Elsa snarled at him, thrusting his blade against her mother's weapon form.

James winced at the electrical shock that ran through him as he slid against Marie's surface and for a brief second he could almost _feel_ Marie's wavelength. His mother's words echoed back to him. _'James, your father is known for his ability to manipulate his meister's wavelengths, and I'm known for Senrigan, which is a long range type of resonance. Don't be surprised if you find out that you can utilize either of those, alright?'_

James smiled. He knew what he had to do. _"Elsa, thrust now!" _He shouted at her, jerking up with her and watched, as expected, Stein blocked again with Marie. James flinched from the pain, but he pushed outward with all his might and was rewarded when he heard…

* * *

"_James?!" Marie looked around herself; she stood in what looked like a prison's antechamber, a desk in the center of the room and cells against the wall. James stood across from her, looking at her._

"_I'm sorry, Marie-sensei. Something is wrong with Elsa. I don't know how to fix it. You're her mother… can you?"_

_Marie stared in amazement at James. "This is your subconscious, isn't it, James? You forced resonance? How could you do that? Stein and I were resonating."_

_The boy looked at her with confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about, Marie-sensei… this is my special room, just like Elsa has hers. I just knew I had to talk to you, to get you to help her… I think she's going to drown us if you don't. I can't explain it… I ju-"_

_With a sudden ripping sensation the weapons lost each other._

* * *

Marie and James both flew from their meister's hand, landing almost twenty feet away. Stein hit his knees, his head a mass of pain, one hand shakingly turning the screw in his head.

"Marie?" He called out, his wife coughing slightly in response and he staggered to his feet, starting to move towards her.

Sylvia nearly changed back, when she caught a strange scent and hesitated. In the end, she decided to stay at where she was at the moment so that she could remember the scent and hunt later and watch the outcome of their game at the same time.

"NO!" Elsa's voice shrieked, and Stein looked over just in time to see his daughter rush at James, her wavelength dancing along her hands. Without thinking he tackled her, knocking her away from the unconscious James, pinning her hands above her head.

"Elsa!" One hand came down and slapped her in the face.

She writhed, "He betrayed me!" She screamed again. "He brought another! He BETRAYED me!"

"Elsa, listen to me!" Stein said, forcing the girl to look at him. "You made me a promise, Elsa! Keep that promise!" He could see it all around her, in her eyes. Madness, worse than the last time. Marie knelt beside him, and he could see a few drops of blood running down the side of her neck. Wrapping her arms around both of them he felt the warmth of her wavelength run through him and watched as Elsa calmed almost immediately.

* * *

_The three of them were in an old fashioned operating theater. He and Marie were standing at the top, looking down at the operating table. Elsa stood in front of the table, dressed similarly to her father. James sat on the table, wearing a pair of blue scrubs._

"_Elsa?" Marie called out, walking down the steps._

_The girl turned to face her. She was older. "Mother, father. You're not supposed to be here. You don't have permission to be here." She turned back to James. "You no longer have permission to be here. You're the reason why they're here. You betrayed me." _

_James looked at her. "I'm sorry, imouto. I had to. You weren't you."_

_Stein followed Marie and watched as she wrapped her arms around Elsa. "Sweetheart, James didn't betray you. Your father already knew something was wrong. James did the right thing by coming to get us. He was just worried for you." Marie was shining with gold and as the two males watched it enveloped Elsa as well. _

_When the shining light faded, Elsa was herself again, sobbing in her mother's arms._

* * *

Stein came back to reality, his wife's arms no longer around him and Elsa sobbing gently against her mother's chest. Standing he went to check on James, who was still unconscious.

Picking the unconscious boy up he walked back over to Marie. "I think that our game should be over for now." She just nodded. Stein looked up. "Sylvia, you can come out now. I'm sorry for that."

She flitted down to them. "Are they alright?" Sylvia asked quietly as she assumed her human form.

"They'll be fine. For now we're going to call your parents and have them come and pick you two up. I think that that would be for the best right now." Sylvia just nodded, looking at her step-brother and Elsa.

* * *

Stein slipped Elsa into bed, planning on having a very detailed conversation with her the next morning, and then stepped out of the room. Spirit and Azusa had already picked up James and Sylvia. Crossing the hall he walked into his and Marie's room where Marie was getting ready for bed.

"Do you think that she's going to be alright, Franken?" Marie asked, and Stein didn't have to read her soul to see that she was worried about Elsa.

"She's going to be fine, Marie. There has to be a reason why the madness is stronger now. I'll do some tests tomorrow. She has you, though. Nothing is going to go wrong." He finished with a smile.

Marie nodded, slipping into the bed and sighed. _"How did he do it, Franken?" _She whispered.

Stein wrapped his arms around Marie, the feeling of having resonance with her shattered still fresh in his mind. _"I don't know, Marie. I want to dissect him to find out, but I know that Spirit and Azusa would never stand for it."_ He smirked as he felt Marie smack leg.

"_I wouldn't stand for it either!"_ She hissed at him, but he knew she understood it as a joke, because when he reached his soul out to hers to reestablish resonance she met him and he could feel the amusement she was feeling. He fell asleep with her in his arms, their two souls as one.

* * *

Elsa woke up, feeling an unfamiliar pain in her abdomen and just shook her head, wondering if it was something that she should tell her dad about. _'I probably just slept wrong or have a stomach ache.' _She thought to herself, stretching and wincing slightly as she did. _'I must have pulled something.'_ She concluded, standing before realizing that there was stickiness on her legs as she woke up more.

Elsa furrowed her brow and turned around to look at her bed. There was blood. Not a huge amount of it, but there was a round stain of fresh blood on the bed. Elsa took a staggering step back away from the bed, one hand touching the stickiness on her legs and coming back with her fingertips stained red. Hitting her knees, she screamed.

* * *

As Elsa's scream tore through the lab Marie and Stein bolted upright in bed, both of them looking at each other. Her scream was one of fear, not pain, though the difference was quite slight. Neither parent hesitated to dash to her room, pushing the door open. They found Elsa sobbing as she huddled against the wall, her nightgown pulled down and over her knees, the smell of blood obvious in the room.

"Elsa, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Marie asked as Stein walked over to his daughter, touching her shoulder.

Marie looked around the room, trying to see what could have provoked the outburst. Elsa looked fine. That was when she saw the stain on the bed. Stein was holding Elsa's hand in his own, looking at the stained fingertips.

"Sweetheart, don't worry, alright? There's nothing wrong." Marie said comfortingly as she walked over to kneel beside their sobbing daughter. "I promise."

Elsa and Stein both looked at Marie as if she had gone crazy. _"Marie?"_ Stein asked quietly, looking over at her.

Marie leaned against Stein and whispered something into his ear. The doctor paled and shuffled back. "Your mother is going to explain some more things with you…" He said before looking at her bed and shaking his head. He gathered the sheets carefully, leaving the room with them, the talk he had planned to have with her forgotten for the moment.

* * *

"Why did that happen?" Elsa asked a moment later, her sobbing calmed in Marie's presence.

"Because you're growing up, Elsa. Every woman and young lady goes through what you're going through right now." Marie said, helping the young girl to her feet and taking her to the bathroom.

"Then why hasn't Sylvia? She's older than I am!" Elsa demanded.

"Well, if she hasn't it just may mean that her body's maturing slower than yours, Elsa." Marie opened up the cabinet and pulled out a pack of feminine products, explaining them to Elsa. Elsa just nodded, obviously thinking about something else.

"Is that why Syl-chan's chest is smaller than mine, too?" She asked suddenly, a serious expression on her face.

Marie almost didn't stop her laughter. "I suppose that could be why." She managed to get out.

"What about James. Will he start bleeding like this too?" Elsa's expression was still serious. Marie couldn't keep the laughter in. "I don't see what's so funny!" Elsa exclaimed.

"It's obvious that your father hasn't gotten to the anatomy lessons yet, Elsa. James is a boy, sweetheart; they don't bleed like girls do." Marie said, brushing hair out of her face.

"That's not fair!"

* * *

Elsa moped the rest of the day, but went through with training. She shot James a sour look every time that he was near her.

"Hey, Elsa, what did I do to make you mad?" He asked suddenly as all of them were gathered around the table for dinner.

"You're a boy." She said peevishly. Marie and Azusa burst out laughing, while Spirit and Stein looked oddly at Elsa. Sylvia just smirked behind her glass of juice. She had already figured out what was wrong with her friend, thanks to a horrendously keen sense of smell. The dragon had wisely kept her mouth shut throughout the day, contemplating how she ought to ensure that none of Elsa's hormonal wrath was directed at her.

"I've always been a boy, imouto…" He said with a confused look on his face.

"Yeah, well… it's annoying now. It's just not fair!" She said, tears in her eyes.

"I'm… sorry?" He said as the look on his face became even more confuse.

"You should be!" She shouted as she stormed away from the table. Marie and Azusa couldn't stop laughing as they heard her stomp up the stairs to her room and slam the door shut.

"She really takes after you, Marie!" Spirit put in, having figured it out. A second later he was in a heap by the door, a small lightning bolt embedded in his skull as he whispered, _'A little too much...'_

Sylvia couldn't help but giggle at Spirit as he climbed back into his chair. "_It smells like a battlefield in here, Spirit-sama," _She murmured, staring into her cup of juice with determination.

He sighed, muttering, _"Well, that explains it. Just checking, you won't be as irritable as her, right?"_

"_Who knows?" _She carefully finished her glass of juice, slipping away from the table, "_I am certain that my sense of self-control is somewhat better than a regular Human's, though."_

Marie just gave Azusa a sympathetic look as she whispered, _"My daughter may have a temper, but yours can set things on fire."_ Azusa paled considerably.

* * *

The dragon ran out of the Patchwork Lab, eager to look for the queer Soul she had somehow managed to sense, even with the terrible fumes of blood wafting around her nose. She shuddered at the very memory of the smell.

'_One is bad. Two is _really_ bad. Three is absolutely terrible. I could barely keep my dinner down,' _Sylvia blanched, keeping close to the bushes at the side of the road, just in case. She stretched out her hand, allowing some flames to flicker along the edge of her fingertips, '_The adults are going to kill me once they figure out I'm gone and not just up with Elsa.' _She noted with a sigh. She extinguished the flames, and continued her hunt for the owner of the soul.

Immersed in her own thoughts, Sylvia didn't take note of where she was walking, and ended up near some sort of alley. She snapped out of her reverie long enough to figure out that clearly, this wasn't where the soul would be. She turned back, but froze when she caught the faintest scent of the soul.

It smelled quite pleasant, which was quite a gratification to the poor girl's sensitive nose after what had happened to all of the other females at the same time. It was a rather mysterious scent, as she couldn't quite compare it to anything. It managed to smell cold, dark, and not smell like anything at the same time. Sometimes, it smelled warm and inviting, but that was always the rarest scent to find. This intrigued her, and she hung around, carefully hiding her eyes.

She observed from a corner as a pale youth seemed to rise out of the shadows, and then look around in confusion. His greyish-silver hair looked almost white in the moonlight, and he had a small hair curl at the top of his head. His attire was simple, a plain white shirt with black jeans. She couldn't catch his eyes, as he never turned toward her. In fact, he didn't even seem to take note of her presence.

"Damn it. Where is that noisy Weapon?" he sighed, "there's no way I managed to get lost again... My sense of direction can't be as bad as Marie-sensei's, after all." His voice was smooth as silk, and very quiet. He stepped back into the shadows, sinking back into the darkness.

Sylvia thought about what she had just witnessed, and found it quite ludicrous. _'Okay, let me get this straight. Just for the sake of seeing this guy, who smells very nice compared to how badly the entire Patchwork Lab reeks now, I am about to get grounded for a week or two? This makes no sense…'_

She face palmed, kicking a pebble and shuffling back to the Lab, '_And, if my estimation isn't that far off, he is a student of Marie-san's.' _She smirked as she recalled the comment about Elsa's mother's sense of direction, which was very, _very _accurate. Unfortunately, the thought of what Azusa was going to punish her with wiped the smirk off her face, and she plodded on back to the Lab dejectedly.

Leaning against the wall of the alley and staring at the retreating girl's back intensely, the youth frowned, '_Who was that queer person? It doesn't matter; that person didn't try to pick a fight with me or anything, so it doesn't matter at all. I do find it extremely noteworthy that this queer child can channel fire, though. Perhaps we will meet in DWMA...' _he shook his head to clear his thoughts, _'Now, where is that damned Weapon of mine?'_

* * *

**A/N: A huge thanks goes to Fall-chan for this. She beta'd it AND wrote a huge chunk of it (ie, the Sylvia/new person interactions) and made quite a few suggestions on it. Suffice it to say, **_**Elsa**_** wouldn't be the story that it is without her.**

**I don't own Soul Eater, Sylvia or the new OC who you met briefly. **

**Thanks for all the reviews, PMs and words of encouragement. Make sure to check out my profile for the shipping poll- and give Fall's stories a look!**

**Love you all!**


	21. Preparation

She could hear them calling her name before she got back to the Lab. Sighing, she resigned herself to whatever punishment Azusa had decided to concoct this time. Landing she took human form, walking towards the front door.

'_I could have just flown into Elsa's room… but I doubt that they'd believe I was asleep and more than one of them can sense where people are…'_ Sylvia just sighed, and walked to the front door, pushing it open and standing awkwardly inside.

Stein was aware of her presence immediately, as was Azusa. Azusa strode over to Sylvia and Sylvia reflexively flinched back. _'She looks quite angry…'_ Sylvia realized with a start. Her surprise at Azusa didn't last long before Spirit had her in a huge hug, spinning a circle.

"Thank goodness you're back! We were worried; we thought someone may have taken you! Where did you go?! Oh, papa was so worried!" He blubbered. Sylvia squirmed in his grasp, almost hissing before thinking better of the action.

"Spirit-sama, Azusa-sama I am immensely sorry for making you worry about me. You have my humblest apologies." She said once Spirit had sat her down, bowing. "I have no reason for my actions beyond curiosity." She bowed again. "I am immensely sorry."

Before the still weepy looking Spirit could grab her again Azusa interrupted. "We'll discuss this once we get home, Sylvia. Thank you for the hospitality Stein, Marie. We'll see you tomorrow again. Sylvia, apologize to them for the incident."

"Marie-sensei, Hakase Stein, I am imminently sorry for causing your household stress in an already stressful situation." She said, her head bowed.

"It'll be alright, Sylvia! We're just glad that you're fine!" Marie said, smiling with her head tilted to the side.

Spirit tittered. Azusa shot him a glare and he quieted, suddenly absorbed with finding the keys in his pockets. As she walked past Marie she muttered, _"Sometimes I feel like I'm raising three children, not two."_

Marie grinned, holding the laughter in until they had left.

* * *

"Sylvia, I want you to understand that what you did was irresponsible." Azusa said, Sylvia standing in front of her. The girl's eyes darted around the room, hidden by the fringe of her hair. She looked at the TV, the sofa, the chair, the carpet; anywhere except up at the very angry Azusa. "You could have been taken. You could have been injured. Anything could have gone wrong."

Sylvia's eyes settled on Spirit, who was bent nearly double trying to hold in his laughter as Azusa slipped into what he had dubbed her "Queen of Chairmen destroy all stance." Sylvia hissed in frustration as Azusa went on about how she would be grounded for a week because of this. Spirit just laughed harder as Azusa sat her hands on her hips, leaning forward towards Sylvia. Sylvia couldn't take it, and before she could stop herself, Spirit's tie was on fire.

Not just a little, the bottom half of it had caught and the only thing keeping him from going up was the way that he was bent over was keeping the tie from touching anything else. His strangled yelp alerted Azusa to the situation.

"Sylvia! Put that out now!" They both almost shrieked.

Sylvia couldn't keep the giggles in. With another thought she extinguished the flames, then made the mistake of looking straight up and into her step-mother's eyes. Her own widened and she took an involuntary step back as the full weight of Azusa's gaze weighed down on her.

"Apologize."

One word. No reprimands, no scolding, no anger at all. Sylvia bowed deeply, confused. "I'm sorry, Spirit-sama." She said.

Azusa turned to Spirit. "Get out. I can't explain to her why what she did was wrong if you're standing behind me making fun of me."

"I wasn't making fun of you Zuzu!" Azusa rolled her eyes at the use of the nickname and just pointed at the door. Spirit pouted before walking out tugging his tie off.

"You can't go around setting things on fire, Sylvia." Azusa said, her voice gentler than Sylvia had imagined it would be.

"I know, Azusa-sama. I'm sorry I set Spirit-sama's tie on fire. He was… being annoying." Then to Sylvia's immense surprise Azusa laughed.

"I'm not sorry you set his tie on fire. In fact, it was quite hilarious, but I couldn't have him knowing that!" Azusa smiled.

Sylvia, while confused, smiled. "You're still grounded for the next week, though. We'll have it go to the first day of school, when you can be ungrounded. Now, go to your room."

'_All in all, not as bad as I thought that it would be. Especially after I set Spirit-sama's tie on fire!'_ A smile tugged at her lips as she went to her room.

* * *

_The moon dripped blood down from the sky, and a young man stood beneath it, staring up at the grinning moon. He opened his mouth to catch the dripping blood, licking the last drops from his lips at the end, his red eyes the same color as the blood he had just consumed. A grin spread across his face as he turned to look at the dreamer, his features blurred into unrecognizability, but the voice agonizingly familiar yet unknown._

"_Well hello, little dragon. Care to meet a true monster?" He stepped towards her, the darkness seeming to bend around him._

* * *

Sylvia woke with a scream, her body encased in flames as the smoke detector went off in her bedroom; her bed starting to catch on fire as the young dragon buried her head in her hands, shaking from the dream.

"Sylvia!" Spirit's voice broke through. "Sylvia, focus! Put out the flames! For Death's sake Sylvia!" His voice was breaking a bit.

It only took a thought and the flames were out. Her bed was scorched, her clothing ruined, burnt almost completely off her body. She looked up at Spirit, and her eyes were visible for once, in the aftermath of the nightmare she didn't remember to cover them.

In a voice that he had never heard, with tears in her eyes, the dragon reached out to him_. "Otosan…"_ He picked her up, and she buried her face in his shoulder, her slight body shaking with her sobs. Azusa looked in the door at him and he shrugged slightly. Sylvia fell asleep against Spirit who just shook his head as he carried her into their room.

"_I'll go sleep on the couch, Azusa." _ He whispered as he tucked the sleeping girl into bed. Azusa just nodded, adjusting the blanket a little more.

For some reason Spirit couldn't shake the feeling that she had just called him something she would never call him again.

* * *

The next morning dawned and Sylvia opened her eyes to find herself in Spirit and Azusa's bed, alone. She sat up, the events of the night rushing back and she felt a chill run down her spine as she remembered the nightmare.

"_Care to meet a true monster?"_ She shuddered as the boy's words echoed through her mind.

"Glad to see you're awake." Came a voice from the door, and Sylvia clutched the blanket up around her throat, aware of the rags that she was still wearing. Azusa smiled as she came in with Sylvia's typical training outfit. Setting it down on the bed, Azusa looked at her for a second. "We're going to drop you two off today, Spirit and I have some shopping that we have to get done."

"_I'm sorry, Azusa-sama… I didn't mean to ruin my bedding and clothing. I am deeply sorry…"_ Sylvia whispered.

"Don't worry about it." Azusa was smiling when Syl looked up. "Just get changed and ready. I think that Hakase Stein has something new for you all to work on since you'll be starting at the DWMA so soon."

Sylvia just nodded.

* * *

True to what she had said, Spirit and Azusa dropped off James and Sylvia before leaving out to go shopping for replacement bedding. It also seemed that Stein had something new up his sleeve to teach the children.

"I know that you all are aware that you possess the ability to sense other people. Whether it is simply sensing the person, seeing their "glow" or smelling their presence, it is all the same ability- Soul Perception. Today you three will be blindfolded. You will not remove the blindfold or peek from underneath it at all. You will effectively be blind.

The purpose of this exercise is to help you develop your Soul Perception abilities. You will have to rely on it to tell you exactly where your opponent is. This lesson will also be taking place entirely outside. I don't want my lab to be destroyed. You will fight to the best of your abilities, without your eyesight. Do you all understand?" Stein explained.

All three children nodded.

"Then we'll begin. Marie, you have the blindfolds?" She smiled, stepping over with them. Once she had given one to each child she also gave one to Stein.

"What about you, Marie-sensei?" Sylvia asked quietly.

"I don't have Soul Perception, Sylvia." She explained. "I can sense Stein's because we've been partners for so long, but that's it."

The three children looked at each other before slipping the blindfolds on, and Marie made sure that all of them were properly secured. She then checked Stein's and nodded.

"Alright, I want everyone to stay put until I move you, do you understand?" There were four nods. Marie placed her hand on James' shoulder and moved him away from the others. She stopped when she noticed his lips moving slightly.

"_What are you doing?" _She whispered.

"_Memorizing the amount of steps and distance I've traveled as well as the direction."_ He said as if it should be obvious.

Marie just laughed. _'He is Azusa's son after all!' _She reminded herself.

She repeated the process with the other three, and then entered the lab, climbing through a window to sit on the rooftop overlooking them. She could see all of the participants, and let herself smile.

"And go!" She shouted to them.

* * *

James stood still, visualizing his position. He knew where he was within a few seconds and slid to the side, trying to focus on the people he could detect. _'The one that feels like its above me must me Marie-sensei. There's one directly across from me. It's… large. Bigger than the other two, it has to be Hakase Stein. That means the one to my right, which feels… hot? … must be Syl-chan. That means that the one right beside me must be Elsa._

_Wait, right beside me?!'_

James' eyes opened wide behind his blindfold and he instinctively jumped back. It didn't save him, he felt a hand slam into his stomach, just slightly off center and something surge through him. He held in the gasp of pain and felt himself fly backwards. A second later he felt a hand grab his, pulling him to his feet.

Elsa's voice giggled out. "I found you, onii-chan."

"So you did, Elsa." He said, his offhand wrapping around his waist, rubbing it absent mindedly. He smirked, knowing that Elsa couldn't see it and leveled his now transformed arm at her. "But that means I found you!"

*KERBLAM*

He missed. He knew even as he released the shot that she was aware of it somehow, and he missed. He went flying backwards again even as he realized that simple fact, her hand catching him in the stomach again.

* * *

Sylvia sniffed the air, testing how close they all were. Unfortunately, there were other smells mixing in and it took her a second to tease out the one she was looking for.

'_He's on my right. I have to avoid that soul at all costs. He's too strong for us, and we won't be working together this time…' _Sylvia moved towards the soul that she had smelled on her left, but stopped just in time, freezing in place even as she felt one soul violently move away from the other. A chuckle escaped her lips. _'Apparently Elsa found James.'_

Steeling herself, Elsa transformed one arm, aiming it at the soul that hadn't moved. _"Incoming!"_ She whispered, giggling slightly as she fired a shot off.

* * *

Elsa could see the glows all around her, and had immediately gone towards the most familiar one. James. She smiled as she surprised him, careful to not hurt him with her wavelength. He did almost surprise her. How could he have forgotten though? She could see the difference in his soul and stepped to the side even as he fired, anger boiling up even as she fought against it and slammed her hand into him again.

The shot from Sylvia took her by surprise. It slammed into her, knocking her back and singing a good part of her shirt. A giggle escaped from her lips. "I'll find you soon, Syl-chan! Right now I'm going to play with James!"

The girl darted towards James, her hand glowing and only Marie able to see it. Another shot rang out, catching Elsa square in the shoulder- but it had no effect.

'_Great.' _Sylvia thought. _'I forgot that she can attune wavelengths…' _Sniffing again, she darted, the large soul too close to her for comfort. A chuckle met her ears as she felt something disturb the air distressingly close to her side.

"You three should have fought together against the greater opponent." Stein said simply. Her soul shone to him and it was no problem to catch her with his second hit.

It wasn't hard, and it was barely a surge of what he could do, but she still flew backwards, nearly colliding with Elsa. Sylvia landed hard, her nose wrinkling immediately as that unwelcome smell assailed her nostrils. It was so overwhelming that she couldn't pick out the souls around her momentarily. Relying simply on her hearing she rolled to the side just in time to avoid the hit that sent the ground flying.

Flipping to her feet she darted only to feel a hand grab her arm. _"Well hello, little dragon."_ Stein's voice whispered incredibly close to her ear, and she suppressed a scream, scrambling to get away from him, the nightmare flooding back into her memory.

* * *

James coughed blood, but raised his gun arm up to shoot Elsa. He knew it hit this time, but she just ignored it. _'Nullified it.'_ He realized with a shock. With sudden determination he switched his arm into a blade, thrusting up. He was rewarded with a feel of resistance and a gasp of pain.

His sense of victory was short lived, even as he felt the weight on top of him shift. _'I just hurt Elsa.'_ He realized suddenly, feeling something drip onto his shirt. Elsa was now sitting just below his ribcage, her breathing ragged. His arm flopped down to his side, untransformed as a set of tears trailed out from underneath the blindfold.

Her weight slid off of him a second later and he heard her whisper, _"I forgive you, onii-chan."_

* * *

Stein yanked hard on Sylvia's arm, pulling the dragon back against him. _"Figure out a way to make me release you, little dragon." _ He hissed into her ear, his wavelength sparking around his hands.

'_Well hello, little dragon. Care to meet a true monster?'_ Replayed in Sylvia's mind and she could hear the blood pounding in her ears. She shook her head, and wrenched her arm, but Stein's grip was like steel and she did nothing but pull her shoulder painfully. A second later his hand hit her side, the wavelength surge painful, but not as bad as the first one.

Flames licked around her body as she struggled, and then blinked. _"Little Dragon! Of course!"_ Before she could use her newfound knowledge she heard Marie's scream.

* * *

"Elsa!" Marie's voice was filled with pain and fear, and Stein immediately ripped his blindfold off, releasing Sylvia in the process. His glasses fell from where they had been sitting on top of the blindfold, and he rushed over to his daughter without retrieving them.

Elsa lay on the grass beside James, blood around both of them. James was breathing quietly, blood in the corners of his mouth, tears streaming from behind his blindfold- Elsa was coughing quietly, adding blood to the pool around them from a gash high up on her side.

Sylvia removed her blindfold and then bent down to pick up Stein's glasses before watching as Marie leapt from the top of the roof down to the ground, dashing to her daughter's side. Stein inspected the wound Elsa had received and shot a look that promised death to James before sighing. Picking Elsa up he nodded at James and Marie picked him up, much to the boys chagrin. Both walked into the lab, Sylvia following along behind.

* * *

The wound was shallow. It wasn't bad, and although it did require stitches it wasn't anything that would require Elsa to miss school. James, watching as Stein patched her up, looked away, blushing. He hadn't realized until too late that he would see Elsa without a shirt on. Once Stein had taken care of Elsa he moved over to James.

"Take your shirt off." Stein said, watching James for his reaction. The boy just took his glasses off, sitting them beside himself on the table and moved to take his shirt off.

He couldn't. The pain in his sides and chest was excruciating as he tried to raise his arms up above his head, and he could feel the tears prick in his eyes from it.

"That's what I was afraid of." Stein said, pulling out a pair of scissors and slicing the shirt up the middle. "I'm going to wrap your chest, James. Elsa apparently broke some of your ribs." He looked the boy straight in the face, his glasses glinting and hiding his eyes. "I'm not happy that you hurt my daughter, but if you did make the correct choice. Next time, try slapping your opponent with your blade if you're training, instead of just stabbing."

James just gulped and nodded.

* * *

The children were given the next few days off to rest and recoup before school started the next Monday. When Monday morning came, each child was nervous, and rightly so. Today was the day they were going to go to the DWMA. The day they became truly meisters and weapons.

* * *

Sylvia and James finished getting ready at roughly the same time, and emerged from their respective bedrooms to look at each other. Both children hid their laughter, grins on their faces.

"You."

"Look."

"So."

"Strange!"

They couldn't keep from laughing anymore, and went downstairs to meet their waiting parents.

* * *

Elsa slipped into her newly stitched uniform, smiling at the addition in the mirror as she walked out of her room to meet her parents.

"Now then, Elsa. While we're at school it's not "daddy and mother."" Marie said. "It's Marie-sensei and Hakase Stein."

"I know, mother. It's just like how Sylvia and James already address you and dad." She said, fidgeting in her boots.

"Dad?" Stein said, chuckling.

"I have to grow up. Only babies call their father daddy." She said suddenly, and a cold chill ran through Stein's spine as they left the house.

She was right, their baby was no longer a baby.

* * *

Elsa, James and Sylvia looked up the massive flight of stairs that led to the DWMA. While it wouldn't be their first time climbing them, it would be their first time climbing them as students. Nervously they fidgeted, before James took the first steps, looking back to see if Elsa and Sylvia were following. He chuckled as he watched Sylvia take her chibi form and wrap herself around Elsa's neck.

Holding his hand out to Elsa, James waited. She took it, and they walked up the steps together.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks again to Fall for all her input in _Elsa._ Including letting me use Sylvia. I don't own Soul Eater, either.**

**cjsylvester, I don't care to include your OC, especially since you're kind enough to review (Which I appreciate everyone that does), though I would appreciate it if you would register so I can send you some PMs just to ask some more questions about them :)**

**Thanks for everything, guys! All the reviews, the PMs, the encouragement and the offers of OCs. I appreciate it all!**

**Love you all! /Lialane**


	22. Welcome to the DWMA!

The children walked up the last set of stairs and could see the large gathering of children before they finished climbing. The noise was overwhelming- people were talking and all of the voices were mashing together. Sylvia tightened her hold around Elsa's throat, and Elsa gasped for air.

"Syl-chan. Can't. Breathe."

Sylvia sweat dropped, changing out of her chibi form and into her human form. The children stayed near the edge of the gathering, but moved closer when they heard a familiar voice shouting above the crowd.

"ALRIGHT STUDENTS! I NEED EVERYONE HERE TO TAKE A TAG THAT DENOTES IF YOU ARE A WEAPON OR A MEISTER! YOU WILL ALSO BE REGISTERING YOUR NAME! WHILE I KNOW AN ORDERLY LINE ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN, JUST HURRY UP AND GET IT DONE ORDERLY!"

"_Is that the same guy?" _James whispered to Elsa. She just nodded, taking a step back and backing right into another student.

"Watch where you're going, twerp." The guy said, pushing Elsa into James. "I won't be so nice if it happens again, small fry." His face was twisted into a sneer.

"Touch her again and you won't like the consequences." James snarled, stepping around Elsa.

"I didn't know that they let babies into the DWMA. What, you her wet nurse or something, punk?" The guy laughed, elbowing a friend on his, who joined in.

James turned and caught Elsa's elbow in his hand. "Let's go, this guy is obviously one of those that don't understand anything about a thing called talent." James reached out to grab Sylvia's arm as well and lead them both away when the larger student grabbed the back of James' collar, hoisting him into the air.

"You better learn to watch what you say, dick head." The kid snarled, twisting his arm so that James could face him, and wound back to punch James.

James moved faster than the kid. With one swift move he had brought both of his feet up and slammed them into the bully's face, landing on his feet as the kid staggered back, nursing an obviously broken nose. "Don't think that just because you're a few years older and taller and heavier than other people are that you're better than them. And next time, you should make sure of whom you're bullying before you start and fail." James said.

A small group had formed around them, but as the fight really wasn't a fight it quickly broke up. James led Elsa and Sylvia away. Neither of them noticed the attention it had gained James from a small, blue haired girl.

Moving through the crowd, the children soon retrieved their badges affixing them to their uniforms and registered their names. It took about an hour for everyone to get their badges.

Sid's voice rang out again once the last badge had been passed out. "ALRIGHT STUDENTS! I NEED ALL MEMBERS OF THE NOT CLASSES TO FOLLOW ME PLEASE! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!" Most of the students standing outside followed Sid into the school then. There were maybe 25 students left standing in the now very empty courtyard.

"Alright, class. You are the EAT class for this year. You will be learning more advanced techniques that the NOT class. I am your instructor, Hakase Stein. This is Marie-sensei. She will be teaching the class with me. First things first, you will all follow me to your class room. You will be in class crescent moon."

Sylvia was barely paying attention, her nose twitching like a rabbit's as she tried to factor in all of the scents that were swirling around her. She caught familiar ones, unfamiliar ones, horrible ones and nice ones, like the girl's perfume in front of her. Shaking her head she tried breathing out her mouth but realized that all that did was enable her to taste the smells.

Making their way into the classroom more than one student stopped to gawk at the sheer size of the room. Elsa grabbed James and Sylvia's hands, dragging them up to the top tier of the room before the rest of the class decided to find their seats.

"Do we have to sit up top, Elsa?" James asked suddenly.

"What's wrong, James-san?" Sylvia asked.

"I… I don't like heights." He said suddenly. Elsa laughed; Sylvia just looked at him oddly.

"Don't worry, onii-chan. This will help you get over it!" She said brightly as the last of the class funneled in, smiling and tilting her head to the side.

James sighed. "Alright, Elsa." He resigned himself to having to sit up top.

"Welcome, class. We're going to start with our roll call." Stein said, picking up the list of names. "Please respond with, 'Present.' When your name is called.

"Akame, Kiru." Stein looked up, locating the student being called.

"Here."

The voice was incredibly familiar, and Sylvia blushed as she realized that this was the same person she had seen… and dreamt of.

"Albarn, James."

"Present." James called out.

"Baker, Thomas."

"Here."

"Butterfly, Wota!" Stein glanced up, looking for the student.

"Present, sir!" The girl called out, smiling. Stein just nodded.

"Chloe!"

"Here!"

"Chrysus, Nicole!"

The girl sitting beside Kiru responded. "Here!" She flipped her hair behind her as she answered.

"Douglas, Sarah!"

"Here!"

"Elris, Patrick!"

"Present, sir." Stein nodded.

"Grace, Lilian!"

A pale skinned, dark haired girl sitting in the front responded, "Present, Hakase Stein." Stein nodded.

"Hana, Orzala!"

"Present." The response was quiet and male, causing Stein to look up.

"I called Orzala, Mr.…"

"Bartholomew Renjoy, sir." The voice was well mannered.

"Mr. Renjoy. She should answer."

"It is her beliefs. She does not speak to one she does not know." He explained. Stein just sighed, marking down both individuals.

"Very well. Haster, Jeremiah!"

"Here."

"Jo, Reki."

"Present." Stein nodded.

"Lily of the Valley…" Stein's voice trailed off, looking for the owner of that name.

"Present." A white haired, pale skinned young woman answered. Stein raised an eyebrow; the only color was from her lightly purple eyes. _'Appropriate name.'_ He thought absentmindedly.

"Malin, Brianna."

"I'm present, Hakase." The girl said, inclining her head. Stein nodded.

"Moore, Jandice."

"Present." Stein nodded.

"Origami Swan?" Stein sighed. "You do know that you are stuck with the name that you have chosen for a minimum of two years, yes?"

The boy just blushed. "It wasn't my choice, Hakase."

Marie giggled from beside Stein. "It'll be alright, we'll just call you Ori."

They boy bowed his head in thanks.

"Ren!"

"Here." A blue haired girl replied.

"Renjoy, Bartholomew… is present. Starre, Maledsa!"

"Present!"

"Stein, Elsa!"

"Present, Hakase." Stein nodded as students started whispering among each other.

One of the students sitting in front of Elsa leaned back to whisper, _"Is he your grandfather?"_

"_He's my father."_ She hissed. _"And Marie-sensei is my mother."_

"Even if this is just a roll call, I will not have my class interrupted. Kindly keep your comments to yourself."

"Sorry, Hakase Stein." Both children said together.

"Sylvia."

Sylvia made sure to check her hair for the fortieth time. "Present."

"Valquez."

"Present."

"Zane."

"Present!"

"Alright, now that that is over, welcome to class Crescent Moon. You are the current EAT class. Some of you were here from last year, some of you are new. Class Crescent Moon is currently the only EAT class in session. We're going to begin with the basics."

"And basics are where I come in!" Marie's voice spoke over Stein's and she stood, walking in front of his desk. "The most basic thing that we can start with is this: 'A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body." She clapped her hands together. "Which means that we have to maintain a balance between our minds and bodies- which is why we do not only book work, but practical work as well. Which is why our first class will be starting outside!"

The students looked around at each other. One raised his hand. "Yes, Valquez?" Marie said.

"What will we be doing outside, Marie-sensei?" The black haired meister blinked his red eyes at her.

"Training. You are EAT students." She said simply.

"Please, follow me." Stein said as he rolled out the door.

The class trailed out behind him.

* * *

"Alright, class. I know that some of you are not new to this class. I need any unpartnered weapons and meisters to please group to the right. If you have a partner or partners, please stay to the left." Stein started, motioning with his hands.

Twelve individuals stood on the right side, some fidgeting nervously, others not. Sylvia raised her hand, "Hakase Stein, Has Lord Death informed you of my... case?"

He looked at her, "Yes, but you still need to find a partner eventually."

"Yes, Hakase." She bowed her head and moved to stand with James and Elsa.

"Now then, those of you who have partners will be sparring with the other groups. Those without, I leave it to you to find your own partner. Please take the time to make sure that you can resonate with your partner. While we are still in a time of relative peace it is important that you can wield or be wielded by your partner." Stein said, still sitting in his rolly chair.

A chorus of "Yes sir!"s answered him and he nodded. "Marie-sensei will be supervising you all." They nodded.

Stein turned to the weapon and meister pairs. "Since you are all already paired, we'll start with your sparring first. First teams to spar are… Kiru Akame and Nicole Chrysus versus… Elsa Stein with James Albarn and Sylvia." Stein adjusted his glasses, hiding his smirk.

'_I will not go easy simply because she is my daughter.'_ He thought.

Elsa held her arm out, glancing over at Sylvia. Sylvia just shook her head and James transformed, resting in her right hand and she stepped into a cleared area, the tree line just beyond them. Kiru smirked, reaching out a hand as Nicole slipped into her weapon form, a golden long spear lying lightly in his hand. Elsa narrowed her eyes, focusing on their souls, and took an unwilling step backwards, feeling Sylvia's hand stop her.

Kiru's soul was nearly as large as her own and Sylvia's. It was also… strange. _'He has bat wings… and a black aura around his gray soul… it's the same color as his hair!'_ She realized with a giggle. Kiru suddenly darted towards her, and he may have connected had Sylvia not pushed her out of the way. Elsa stumbled, keeping her feet, and dashed towards the tree line.

"You won't win by running away!" A voice taunted her before there was a sudden blast from behind her.

"I was simply getting out of Syl-chan's way!" She yelled back, laughing. Hitting the tree line she hopped up into a large tree, lining up for a shot on the boy that was currently cursing, stomping out a small fire that had caught on one of his shoe laces.

The shot connected, knocking the boy back, and he hit his feet, murder on his face. _"Nic." _He whispered.

"Right!"

"Soul Resonance!"

The spear glowed, a golden light tinged with silver escaping it as Kiru swung her. With a small flourish he stopped, pointing at the tree that Elsa had taken refuge in.

"Golden Spear, Silver Blast!" Kiru shouted as a blast of energy erupted from the end of the spear, a blade growing on the end as he swung down into a defensive stance facing Sylvia.

Elsa giggled as the blast came at them, easily dropping out of the tree and darting towards Kiru even as he was facing Sylvia, adjusting her grip on James to better use his bladed end. Sylvia fell back shaking, her nightmare running through her head again even as Elsa slammed into Kiru, the boy barely deflecting James.

He didn't deflect her Soul Menace though. He took the hit and was flung away from both of them. Stein watched Elsa closely as she turned to Sylvia, who was sitting on the ground now, her eyes wide behind her fringe.

"Come on, onee-chan. We can take him, easy!" She said, smiling.

"N-no…" Sylvia managed out, shaking her head slightly, and Elsa could clearly see the whites of her eyes as the young dragon back peddled.

"Golden Spear, Silver Blast!" Carried to them and Elsa looked up suddenly, darting to stand in front of Sylvia, throwing James up and into the air.

The blast hit Elsa square in the chest and the entire class watched as the dust died down. James, still in weapon form, fell and Elsa caught him in her left hand, holding out her right arm for Sylvia. She looked over her shoulder at the young dragon, and then just shook her head, darting towards Kiru again who met her charge head on.

James' blade slid down the spear only to be stopped as Nicole sprouted a blade. Elsa grinned, her hand crackling with energy as she swung. Kiru danced back, a smirk on his face, even as Elsa's hand 'missed' him and landed on Nicole. In a burst of light, Nicole was flung from Kiru's hands and she appeared in her weapon form.

"Enough!" Stein's voice rang out. "That was an admirable spar. There were mistakes on both sides, but that's why you are currently in this class, to learn from your mistakes before you make them somewhere that will get you killed."

Marie came over with the other groups paired together now, smiling. Before she could speak though, the bells rang.

"Looks like that's the queue for lunch! Alright, everyone should know how to get to the cafeteria! We'll regroup after lunch." Stein said, turning towards Marie and walking into the school, the class trailing along behind them.

Sylvia shuddered as she fell into step with Elsa and James. She could still feel the way that Kiru's eyes had seemed to look through her. Elsa turned, having asked a question, and Sylvia realized that she didn't know what had been asked. Shrugging she switched into her chibi form, sliding around Elsa's neck.

Elsa could feel her friend trembling, but for once was at a loss for what to do, so she just walked alongside James.

* * *

"What's Pandekager?" Elsa asked, looking at the menu. The three children sat in the DWMA's very large cafeteria.

"I don't know…" James said, trailing off.

"What about Tahu Telur?"

"I don't know that, either."

"Do you, Sylvia?" Elsa asked, looking over at her.

"I don't either." Sylvia said, trying not to wrinkle her nose again.

"What about Balut?" Elsa asked. "It sounds interesting!"

"No, just no." Sylvia said suddenly.

"Why not?" James asked looking over at her.

"Because it's a duck egg with a duck in it that you eat, feathers and all!" She said suddenly.

"Ewwww!" Elsa and James said together.

"Um… what about Durian? It says it's a fruit, that should be safe?" Elsa said.

"No clue what it is beyond that though." James said, and Sylvia couldn't keep from wrinkling her nose again.

"Why do you keep wrinkling your nose, Sylvia?" Elsa said, getting closer to Sylvia.

"Well… there are so many souls here the scent is over powering… Some of them smell good, like yours, James-san's and Kiru-san's… but a lot of them smell… well, almost like garbage… and then there are all the scents coming from the kitchen it's hard to focus."

A voice came from right behind her. _"Did you just say my soul smelled good?"_

Sylvia shrieked, clawing briefly at Elsa's arm as the voice chuckled and walked off. "Sylvia?" Elsa asked. She watched the strange boy as he walked off. _'He certainly smelled better than anything else around here…'_ Sylvia thought, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Sylvia-chan, are you alright?" James' voice broke through Sylvia's thoughts and she looked up.

"I'm fine James-san. Why don't we just try something normal? Like pizza?" Sylvia asked, obviously attempting to change the subject. Elsa and James both nodded, laughing.

* * *

Both Elsa and James had finished before her, so Sylvia had opted to remain alone at the table, finishing her piece of pizza. The bell sounded, announcing the end of the lunch period and she walked over to drop her tray off. She stepped into the hallway only to have to step back into the cafeteria, there were so many people crowding the halls right now she couldn't get out.

'_I hope that James and Elsa are waiting on me.'_ She thought. _'I don't want to have to navigate my way back to the classroom without them.'_

After a minute or so the rush died down and Sylvia stepped out of the room, standing in the mostly deserted hallway and almost desperately glanced around. _'Where did Elsa and James go?! I can't get lost- It's not like I'm Marie-sensei.'_ She gave a little giggle. _'So many souls around here that I can't focus enough to pick them out, though…'_

Sylvia jumped as she felt a hand land lightly on her shoulder. "Elsa! I've been looking-" She turned.

"Hey, are you lost, kid?" A girl from her class was standing in front of her, the weapon they had sparred against earlier.

Sylvia immediately readjusted her hair, glancing down. "Yeah, um… I'm not sure how to get back to class Crescent Moon."

"I thought you looked familiar!" The girl exclaimed. "You sparred against Kiru and me!" She tossed her light brown ponytail back over her shoulder. Excitement flashed in her friendly chocolate brown eyes. "I didn't get to see you do much, were you a weapon or a meister?"

Sylvia frowned slightly behind her curtain of hair. "Weapon, but I'm not going to have a partner for now. At least, that's what Lord Death told me... I suppose I'm an Autonomous Weapon..."

She smiled, "Nice to meet you. My name's Nicole, but you can call me Nic. My sulking partner is Kiru. He's in a perpetually bad mood, so be careful around him. He's mean to people, all the time."

"I'm Sylvia. Like I said, I'm lost. Have you seen a girl with silver hair and gold eyes and a boy with her?" Sylvia looked around again, hoping to see Elsa or James.

Nicole closed her eyes in thought. "Nope, they're the ones we sparred against, right? Haven't seen them. How old are you three anyway?"

"Elsa, the girl, is a year younger than me, and the boy, James, is a year older. I'm eleven. It's been nice to meet you, of course, but class is starting soon, I'm going to have to find them…"

Nicole smiled suddenly, "Hey, Sylvia-chan, do you think Kiru-kun's hot?" Nicole then pointed over into a corner that Sylvia had overlooked a couple of times.

She involuntarily looked over at where Kiru stood. Kiru had messily cut, uneven but roughly shoulder length grey-silver hair and his eyes were blood red. _'Just like in my dream!' _ She realized.

He was also really tall, and very pale. His black and purple striped button up shirt and long black jeans went nicely with his hair and skin, and he did appear quite attractive. Now that she had realized he was there, he could easily recognize his scent.

"...I guess?" she answered carefully, checking that her fringe covered her eyes every single second of the conversation and trying her hardest not to betray her ridiculous fear.

"Yeah, go find your friends. If you need anything, just look for me, okay? Bye! We'll see you in class!" She happily skipped back to her Meister, who face palmed at something.

Sylvia was confused, but just shook her head and walked off down the hall, thinking she might have recognized it. _'I'm as bad as Marie-sensei right now!'_

After about ten minutes she heard James' voice calling out, "Hey Sylvia-chan! There you are!"

* * *

"Why were you staring so intently at the kid?" Nicole asked, poking Kiru in the side.

"Nicole, I had every reason to believe that she was lost. That's why I wanted you to offer her your assistance." He glared over at Nicole.

'_Besides, there's no reason for you to know that I've met her before our sparring match today, Nic. I don't need you and your annoying matchmaking habit kicking in.'_

Kiru had learned a lot from watching Nicole converse with Sylvia though. As far as he could deduce, the girl was paranoid about her eyes. She was also lost, and was supposed to have her two friends from earlier with her. Of course, his idiotic Weapon had to ask the question, which caused her to look at him. He expected her to question his hair and eye color like the rest, but to his surprise, she seemed terrified upon remembering something. She also checked that her fringe was in place every seven seconds.

" Well, I actually managed to learn something about her, you know. Her name is Sylvia. She's eleven, and an Autonomous Weapon. She doesn't seem to be very affected by your appearance. She doesn't even seem to care that I told her you're an evil meanie-"

"Enough, Nicole. I have gathered sufficient information for today. One must admit, she is... Interesting." he said thoughtfully.

Nicole gasped theatrically, her hands over her heart. "Has your heart been stolen by this cute midget?"

"Don't call the students midgets, Nicole. And no, of course not. That's ridiculous." He scoffed.

"_I shall test her friends first, then her._" He thought to himself. "_If I'm right, her friend Elsa is Hakase Stein and Marie-sensei's daughter, and therefore very prone to Madness. If I irritate her enough and she slips into Madness, it just might affect this Sylvia enough that I won't even have to test her. If I recall correctly, her other friend, James, is romantically interested in Elsa, so I kill three kids with one stone. Exceedingly simple, yet devious. My favorite type of test," _he smirked.

He missed Nicole's scheming smirk, which would have set all the alarm bells related to her horrible matchmaking attempts wailing.

* * *

**A/N: And we'll continue with their first day of school in the next chapter! Thanks to Fall-chan for Sylvia-chan, Kiru-kun and Nic-chan. I don't own Soul Eater either. Ren and Valquez belong to Eiv-kun and Chloe and Zane belong to cj :) **

**Thanks for the reviews, PMs, and everything. Love you all!**


	23. After Lunch: Resonance Test?

Elsa and James arrived back to class late after having taken the time to find Sylvia once they had realized she didn't find her way back to class after lunch.

"Kind of you three to join us finally." Stein said as the trio walked in, moving quickly to their seats.

"We're sorry, Hakase Stein." James started. "We-"

"They were looking for me." Sylvia interrupted. "I got lost after lunch and couldn't find my way back to the class."

Marie nodded knowingly, speaking over Stein. "It's alright, it's your first day here and the academy is a large place. Just don't let it happen again!" She smiled sweetly, one foot discreetly kicking Stein under the desk they shared.

"Yes." Stein said, adjusting his glasses. "Don't let it happen again." He stood, twisting the screw in his head. "Now, class. We're going to practice Soul Resonance. I want you to pair up with your partners and start slowly. You'll spend as long as you need to resonate with your partner, after which you will remain resonating so that you can get used to the sensation. As some of you have never actually resonated with your partner, this is key. You must familiarize yourself with your partner's wavelength. It will make maintaining resonance, easier; which is a key factor in battle."

The class paired off, and Sylvia looked around desperately. She was the oddball out, no one was there. Stein raised an eyebrow at her, inclining his head towards James and Elsa. "Hakase Stein?" She asked tentatively as she approached his desk.

"Yes, Sylvia?" He responded, adjusting his glasses, causing them to glint.

"I don't have a partner, and I don't want to resonate with Elsa and James…" She trailed off, looking down at the ground.

"Why's that, Sylvia?" He asked, glancing over at Marie.

"Well… it's obvious that James and Elsa are going to be partners; I'm a third wheel…" She said quietly, her nostril twitching as she caught a familiar scent come up behind her.

"Don't worry, Hakase. I think I understand what Sylvia's saying." The smooth voice from behind her said. She turned to see Kiru standing right behind her. "I'll practice with the kid- it's not like Nicole and I really need this basic of a lesson." He smirked down at Sylvia.

Stein nodded. "It will do you good if you can learn to resonate with multiple meisters, Sylvia, until we find you a permanent one."

Sylvia's eyes grew large behind her fringe and she could feel herself starting to shake. "H-hakase Stein? What if we can't resonate?"

Stein regarded the pair from behind his glasses, the glare hiding his eyes. "I don't believe that that will be a problem, Sylvia."

Sylvia just nodded, turning to walk back to the seats beside Kiru, every fiber of her being on edge. _'Stay calm. You can't resonate with someone if your wavelength is unstable.' _She took a deep breath, glancing over at Nicole who was blowing a bubble with her chewing gum. The girl popped the bubble and gave her a big smile.

"Don't worry; Kiru's bark is _much _worse than his bite!" She said cheerfully, mimicking someone taking a bite as she said it. Sylvia giggled nervously, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in through her nose, focusing on Kiru's scent. _'On his soul.'_ The eleven year old reminded herself sternly. _'All of these scents are souls of other little ones.'_

Kiru smirked, sensing her fear already. _'Alright, kid. Let's see if you can handle this.'_ With one swift mental movement Kiru fell into his own soul, pushing it against Sylvia's, slightly surprised at the size of the little girl's soul.

Sylvia gasped, fear overwhelming her as she felt his deathly gray soul push against hers, and before she could stop herself flames exploded from her body, any semblance of resonance between the two completely shattered. Her eyes flew open as she heard a few scattered shouts and chairs scraping against the floor as students scrambled to get away from the fire.

Even as she focused on the fires to put them out she heard Stein's voice rise over the crowd. "Sylvia- extinguish those now!"

Nicole's voice followed a second later. "I know what you did, Kiru! That was so mean!" She reiterated her statement by slapping him in the back of the head, hard. Kiru just smirked. _"I'm sorry he did that Sylvia!" _She whispered quietly to the girl.

Pulling her feet up onto the chair Sylvia bowed her head against her knees. "You have my humblest apologies, Hakase Stein…" She said into her knees, blushing in embarrassment.

"See me after class, Sylvia. Kiru, practice resonating with your normal partner, thank you." Stein said.

The students around her weren't paying attention to the lesson anymore, more than one of them just staring at her singed uniform.

The pale girl that had called herself Lily of the Valley spoke in a hushed whisper, looking over her shoulder at Stein and Marie. _"How did you do that? That was amazing!"_ Several other students murmured their agreement, repeating the question.

"Enough chatter, class. Back to the assignment or you'll earn extra homework for the night." Stein said, a dangerous smirk on his face. Enough of the class knew about his reputation and penchant for dissections to hush the ones who didn't.

"_Was that rejection, Franken?" _Marie whispered to him.

"_I believe it was fear, not rejection._" Stein said, leaning towards Marie. _"Her wavelength spiked as soon as he tried to establish resonance. I believe that she is terrified of the boy for some reason."_

Marie's brow furrowed in thought. _'We'll need to mention it to Spirit and Azusa then. I wonder if it has something to do with the sparring match?"_

Stein just shook his head. _"She was terrified of him then. Something happened before then. I wonder what it was?"_ He twisted the screw in his head as he leaned away from Marie. There was something he could almost remember. Almost.

* * *

Elsa and James resonated without any problems. They broke it when they felt the flames that erupted from Sylvia, Elsa looking in horror at her friend. She waited until after her dad had scolded Sylvia, then stood up and walked over to Sylvia, slipping her hand around Sylvia's elbow and shot Kiru a glare as she drug Sylvia back over to where James was waiting. Kiru just smirked at them, and Nicole slapped him again. He rubbed the back of his head and shot her a glare and she shrugged, popping her gum again.

"That was silly, Sylvia." Elsa said admonishingly. "Are you afraid of Kiru-san?" She asked suddenly.

Sylvia felt the blush spread across her cheeks. "Of- of course not, Elsa-san."

"_-chan." _Elsa hissed reflexively and Sylvia couldn't keep from giggling.

"Class, we're practicing Resonating, not telling jokes." Marie chided. The trio bowed their heads respectfully.

"Alright, Sylvia. We have to practice resonating, so you'll practice with me and James!" Elsa said brightly, smiling and cocking her head to the side. James felt a smile tug at his lips.

'_She's so cute when she does that!'_ He thought suddenly, blinking at the thought as if it were in a foreign language.

Sylvia just gave a small nod. _"I just didn't want to intrude."_ She whispered.

"You're family!" Elsa said suddenly, her feature open and bright. "It's no intrusion, onee-chan! I'll start by resonating with James, and then we'll both reach to you, ok?" Sylvia swallowed, nodding.

Elsa closed her eyes, focusing on only James' soul again. She could still hear the murmuring of the other souls, see them at the edge of her vision, but she was able to tune them out and find just James' soul. She smiled looking at it, giggling slightly at its familiarity even as she felt her soul connect with his and opened her eyes to find herself standing in the Operating Theater. James stood in the center, looking at something on the operating table.

"_You really need to focus, Elsa, or you're going to terrify Sylvia when you bring her in here." He said. She walked down to look and grinned to see a baby dragon strapped to the table. With a thought it disappeared and Elsa sat down in a chair in the first row._

"_You can sense her, can't you, James?" She asked, looking up at him. James nodded, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "Have you ever resonated with her? She's your adopted sister."_

"_I haven't, Elsa. I know weapons can resonate, but we've never even tried." He shrugged and she didn't push the matter._

"_Well, let's find her and get her here then." She said with a smile, her head tilting, and James felt his very __**soul**__ blush. Elsa giggled slightly, focusing._

* * *

Sylvia felt something lightly reach out to her. It was nothing like the sudden presence of Kiru's soul had been. This touch was light, questioning and exceedingly familiar. She could smell the presence… no, the two presences reaching out to her, their scents mixed until it smelled as if only one were reaching out. Taking a deep breath the young dragon closed her eyes, fighting her apprehension as she felt something roll over.

There was an instant when it felt like she was being torn apart before something smoothed and the feeling disappeared. Hesitantly she opened her eyes.

* * *

_Sylvia gasped as she looked around the large room. Theater style seating that was seven or eight rows high surrounded a small area that held an operating table. It was lit by a bare bulb, but it cast enough light so that the room wasn't in darkness. James and Elsa sat in two chairs in the first room, both of them dressed oddly. The dragon automatically glanced down, giggling at what she wore._

_Where James was in scrubs and Elsa was in a lab coat, Sylvia was wearing a high necked button up black dress. The dress reached to the floor, a silver trim of lace around the bottom. The same trim accented the top of the neck line and the cuffs on the long sleeves. There was a large shinigami-shaped skull button at the base of the throat and a smaller one on each of the sleeve's cuffs. Sylvia giggled again when she realized that her hair was up in a bun, but her fringe remained to cover her eyes._

"_Sylvia!" Elsa nearly shouted in joy as she looked up and saw her friend. "We didn't know if it would work!" She darted forward and hugged the girl. James smiled from beside her._

_Sylvia frowned slightly, looking over Elsa's shoulder at the boy. "James, are you alright?" She asked suddenly._

"_I'm fine, Sylvia. Why do you ask?" He said, still smiling. Sylvia moved to him, looking at him closely, and then reached out a finger to touch in between his eyes._

"_Your forehead is furrowed, like you have to concentrate incredibly hard on something…" Sylvia trailed off as James just nodded, pulling her hand back to her side._

"_I am concentrating hard, Sylvia-chan." He said quietly. "I'm monitoring Elsa's wavelength and yours and smoothing out any interference in the resonance. Elsa's incredibly flexible, and could probably resonate with you just fine if I wasn't here." Elsa grinned at the compliment. "I'm not so flexible, even if I am good at maintain a resonance once it's been established. For that reason, I'm focusing on keeping everything smoothed out." He smiled again and shrugged. "It makes it easier on us all."_

"_Where are we?" Sylvia asked._

"_My special place." Elsa declared, gesturing around her. "James and I found out about it a little while before you came."_

"_Why are we in yours and not his?" Sylvia asked, looking around, taking in the entirety of the room._

"_Probably because Elsa is the meister and I am the weapon." James said before Elsa could. "Or it could be because she is the one that initiated the resonance." Elsa just nodded._

"_We'll test it out and see if you can start it next time, onii-chan!" Elsa said cheerfully. James just nodded indulgingly._

_Sylvia smiled, her fears about resonating with someone slowly melting away. She still felt as if she was intruding on something very personal and private for Elsa and James. She drifted off to the side of the room, examining it as Elsa and James started chatting._

* * *

Stein watched the resonating pairs, fully expecting to see someone who was having difficulty resonating with their partner. E.A.T. students did occasionally have to change partners a few days into the semester. It looked like this class may be one of the exceptions to that rule. The pairings that Marie had put together seemed to be doing well also. He smirked a bit, watching a few students stumble resonating with each other. _'Perhaps some will need extra classes.'_ He thought.

Then he looked over at James and Elsa, reading their souls. A smile crossed his features and was quickly dismissed. Not only was his daughter resonating with James, she was also resonating with Sylvia. Watching for a few moments he noted that while Elsa's soul was the one obviously leading the resonance, it was James' soul that was providing the necessary… adhesion for the resonance not to shatter. He could see the tension in the boy's soul, though.

'_He's going to need more practice at maintain and steadying wavelengths if he is going to continue to support both Elsa and Sylvia's souls in resonance. He's strong, and takes after his father quite well, which is good given James' protective instincts.' _Stein thought, watching the fluctuations in James' wavelength as it adapted time and again to create a smooth resonance for the other two. _'I have to wonder if he registers the fluctuations in his own wavelength as pain or if he is even aware that they are occurring.'_

There was a knock at the classroom door and Stein looked up, adjusting his glasses before pushing away from the desk to roll over to the door. Turning the knob, he pushed it open to find Sid standing in front of it, four students standing behind him.

"I seem to have found a few of your students that got turned around and into the wrong class, Stein." He said, stepping aside and ushering the students into the room.

"Nice of you to return them, Sid. How did you not notice when you took roll this morning though?" He asked, twisting the screw in his head.

"N.O.T. class isn't mandatory, you know that. I don't keep a roll; my memory is still sharp as it was when I was still alive. If a student doesn't show up for a few days, I just track them down." He shrugged. "At least I start my class on time, that's just the kind of man I was." Sid said, what could have been a smirk tugging at his lips.

Stein gave a brief laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks for bringing them." He looked up at the students. "Well, since you've missed nearly your entire first day in the E.A.T. class you'll have extra homework for this evening." He rolled back to in front of his desk. "Attention, class. We have some late comers that are going to introduce themselves."

The students stopped what they were doing, looking forwards at the four new comers.

An extremely thin, tall boy stepped forward immediately, and held his hand out expectantly. The silver haired girl stepped up behind him, and in a flash of silvery-purple light transformed into a weapon. The breeze generated from her transformation tousled the boy's dirt brown hair and he swung the weapon around, having obviously used it before.

"I am Trident Meister Trevor. This-" he said, hefting the trident in his hand, "is my weapon partner, Demon Trident Artemis." He twirled the weapon again, tossing it up into the air where the girl transformed again, landing agilely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." She said smiling as the two of them stepped to the side.

The blonde haired girl stepped forward then, smiling as she fidgeted slightly with the hair that was in a messy bun, brushing strands out of her face. She adjusted the white striped back tank top she was wearing before speaking; the faintest hint of a French accent tingeing her lilting voice.

"My name is Melody Churie." She said, her light blue eyes sparkling. "I am the meister of this partnership. That is Avalon Thax. He is my weapon." The girl rubbed her hand against her leg before reaching out to Avalon. Elsa giggled quietly as she realized that one of the girls tights were black and one was white.

With a flash Avalon transformed and Melody was holding a large black khopesh, its handle wrapped with a dark gray cloth. She smiled and closed her eyes, though there was an obvious blush on her cheeks as she spun in a circle quickly, whispering to herself something that sounded very much like, _"All around the mulberry bush…" _ before finishing with flourish. With a flash of light Avalon took his human form again and gave a small bow.

"_Thank you for accepting us into your class, Hakase Stein and Marie-sensei."_ He said quietly, bowing to them, an obvious English accent in his voice.

"But of course!" Marie said brightly.

"Now that the introductions are out of the way-"

The school's bells interrupted Stein, and the class surged to its feet.

"Not so fast." Stein said, rolling his chair in front of the class. "I want everyone who was present for the Soul Resonance experiment to write a short 500 word essay on your experience with it. For those who were not, you will remain after class." There was a collective groan as most of the students filed out of the room.

Elsa, James and Sylvia stayed in their seats as the four newcomers crowded around Stein's desk. Marie came over to sit with them, smiling the entire time. She just put a finger to her lips when they started to talk to her, and the trio quieted.

"Alright, I want to see each pair of you resonate." Stein said, pushing his glasses up. The pair looked at each and each set shrugged, their eyes closing and their souls reaching out to their partner. Stein watched them, nodding.

"You all seem to be well suited for each other. That's good. I want you to go home and resonate with each other, seeing how far you can push the resonance. Then I want a 1000 words essay on it, do you understand?" The students nodded. "Alright, dismissed." They filed out of the room.

"You three did great today!" Marie exclaimed, crushing them all into a huge hug. "I'm so proud of all of you!" Stein smiled from behind her. "I know that your parents will be proud too." She added, looking at James and Sylvia.

Marie's face took on a serious expression. "I do expect you to try not to set the classroom on fire tomorrow though, Sylvia." Sylvia blushed and looked down at the ground, ignoring her singed clothing. Marie and Elsa giggled a bit.

"Come on, let's go." Stein said impatiently. "We're going to be taking you home. Your parents will pick you up once they can." The children nodded, following Stein and Marie out of the room and down the hallways of the DWMA.

"So, how do you like it here?" Stein asked as they walked, glancing down at the children.

"It's amazing!" Elsa burst out, and the other two let her talk. "There are so many different types of souls here. People. None of them are alike. I don't think I've ever seen so many in one place! Look! There's a large group of them now!" She giggled, pointing.

Sure enough, there were a group of students lounging about, but they broke up as the two teachers approached, leaving just a blue haired girl and a black haired boy. Marie smiled warmly. "Ren! Valquez! Shouldn't you two be getting home to get some dinner?" She asked, stopping as they came up to them.

"It is around that time, Marie-sensei. We were actually discussing what we should have, weren't we, Ren?" Valquez nudged the girl slightly with his elbow.

"Um, yes, we were." She muttered, blushing. "H-hi James." Her blush deepened. "Hi Elsa and Sylvia." She added as an afterthought.

Elsa grinned widely. "Wasn't today great?! It's amazing to meet so many new people, isn't it? Do you like being here at the DWMA?" The blue haired girl moved back a little from Elsa's exuberance.

"It is nice being here finally." Ren answered.

"Yes, it is." Valquez added.

"So, you want to be friends?" Elsa asked with a grin on her face. "Though, if we're going to be friends, you have to be friends with all of us, ok?" She finished.

Ren's face darkened. "I'd… I'd like to be all of your friends." She muttered, looking down even as she glanced up through her lashes to steal a glimpse of James.

"That's great!" James said, smiling at the pair. "What about you, Valquez?"

The boy flashed sharp teeth at James as he smiled. "Any friend of Ren's is a friend of mine."

Sylvia giggled, having finally put figured out why Ren was blushing so furiously. _'She likes James!' _The little dragon's face broke into a grin and she gave the other girl a conspiratorial grin, causing Ren's blush to deepen ever more.

"Alright, children!" Marie interrupted. "I hate to break this up, but we all really need to get to our respective homes to eat something! Lunch was a long time ago." She finished with a smile.

"She's right." Stein added. "We'll see you two in class tomorrow, alright?"

"Yes, Hakase Stein." Valquez said, nodding as he hooked one hand through Ren's elbow as she also nodded her consent. _"See, that wasn't so hard was it Ren?"_ He murmured once they were out of earshot.

"_Sometimes I hate you, Val." _She replied, but the smile on her face was proof that that was a lie.

* * *

The Patchwork Lab was maelstrom of chaos once they all got home. Marie spent her time in the kitchen, carefully cooking dinner for the seven of them- including Spirit and Azusa in the tally. Elsa, James and Sylvia sat in Elsa's room practicing resonating, with James leading.

It didn't work. None of the children could figure out why. Stein chuckled as he sat in the lab- he could feel each one of the failures, and knew exactly why it wasn't working. Sylvia's soul wouldn't accept the resonance unless Elsa's was the one in control. Her soul was larger than James', and his attempts to start it were met with a shattered resonance as her soul railed against being controlled by a smaller one. It wasn't something they could stop, either.

Eventually the children tired of the failures, and Elsa took the lead. Stein nodded as he felt the three souls above him gravitate towards a feeling of singularity.

"Dinner!" Marie's voice rang through the lab, followed by the sound of the front door opening and closing. Multiple voices drifted through the hall and Stein pushed himself out of the lab, rolling through the empty halls and towards the room they used when dining with guests.

"No." Marie stood in front of the doorway, glaring at him.

"Hmm?" Stein asked, smirking up at her.

"I've told you before, Franken, you're not allowed to have that chair while we're eating." She crossed her fingers, glaring down at him.

"Marie, it's just a chair. I don't see the harm in using it while I eat." He said, resting one hand on her hip, massaging with his fingertips. He stopped when he saw the look in her eye harden.

"Out, now." She said coldly. Stein pushed himself backwards, wheeling back to the lab and standing to walk, like common people, back to the dining room.

Marie was smiles and sunshine when he came back, serving spaghetti around the table. She brought out bread and salad to go with it.

"So, Marie, why isn't Stein allowed to sit in his rolly chair?" Spirit asked suddenly around a mouthful of spaghetti.

Stein was the one that answered. "A few years ago I had been working for a few days-"

"Seven." Marie interrupted.

"-seven days straight." Stein amended, looking at his wife out of the corner of his eye. "She managed to get my attention long enough to get me to come to the kitchen for dinner-"

"-breakfast." Marie broke in again.

"-breakfast." Stein corrected, continuing. "And I came seated on my lab chair." He shrugged.

"What dad isn't telling you is that he brought his experiment with him, sitting it on the table and mother served it without looking!" Elsa collapsed into peals of laughter. The entire table except Marie and Stein did as well. Marie was glaring at Stein again.

Once the laughter died down Azusa spoke. "So, how did your threes first day of schooling go? Any problems?"

Elsa spoke up immediately. "Just one, but James solved it fast."

All four adults looked at her. "What problem was that?" Azusa asked.

"Some older student tried to pick on me." Elsa said. "James broke his nose, I think."

Silence.

"You what?!" Spirit and Azusa exclaimed at almost the same time.

"He pushed Elsa into me because she had accidentally bumped into him and threatened to do worse if it ever happened again." James shrugged. "I told the girls to just ignore him, and he grabbed my collar, picking me up in the air and went to punch me." A smirk pulled at the side of James' lips. "He was terribly slow. I slammed my feet into his face and he dropped me. I think Elsa was right though, his nose might have been broken. I know he went to the nurse right after, whining to his friends about it."

Spirit and Azusa just stared.

"James… we've had a talk about fighting…" Spirit started.

"Oh, come off it, Spirit." Stein interrupted suddenly. "You're sending him to the DWMA. You're lucky his first fight there was over and done in one kick. You'll be lucky if he and Elsa aren't in a hundred duels before their first month is over, given their reputations."

Spirit laughed, to everyone's surprise. "You're right, Stein. Anything else happen?"

Elsa spoke again. "Sylvia tried to resonate with some asshole."

"Elsa! Watch your language!" Marie cut in.

"But he was an asshole, mother! Everyone knew that he didn't bother to try to resonate properly with her! He just slammed his soul against hers like a square peg against a round hole, he's an ass-" Elsa tried to defend her usage of asshole, but was cut off.

"He is not!" Sylvia interrupted her, and then gasped, looking down, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks. "He… he was just used to resonating with only his weapon. I'm sure that that is all it was. I bet he was nervous too…"

Spirit's face contorted and a chuckle broke out. Azusa shot him a look. "What's so funny?" She asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked. "Sylvia's got a crush!"

The young dragon stiffened, feeling her cheeks heat up. "I do not! Besides, James is the one who has some girl crushing on him!"

James spit his drink out. "What?!" He nearly shouted.

"Oh, don't pretend James!" Sylvia said; glad to have the spot light off of herself. "Ren was really only talking to you, didn't you see how she blushed! She's completely crushing on you!"

Spirit's laughter rang around the table. "I **told** you he was my son!"

* * *

**A/N: I don't know if it was the two energy drinks I drank right before writing this or what, but I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter. Sorry it went so long.  
**

**Disclaimers: Soul Eater, not mine. Sylvia, Kiru, Nicole: Fall-chan's. Ren and Val, Eiv-kun's. Artemis and Trevor: Greek's. Melody and Avalon: Walker's. Thanks for letting me use them!**

**Thanks for the PMs, Reviews (especially the reviews ;) ) and everything. Thanks to Fall-chan for beta'ing this. And to everyone who reads this regularly. You rock.**

**Look forward (in probably chapter 25)to featurettes for the OCs I've been loaned so you can get to better know them. Love you all!**


	24. Indecision

_The moon shone brightly in the sky, blood dripping from its teeth. Beneath it stood the young man, his head thrown back, tongue outstretched as he took in his meal of blood once again. A look of pure bliss crossed his features as he swallowed the last drops, licking his lips and grinning with his eyes closed; sharp razor like canines revealing themselves as he did so. _

_The grin he wore only grew as he opened his blood red eyes to meet her greyish-purple ones. Moving with agonizing slowness he drew near to the cowering girl, the grin spreading to almost comic proportions until he finally spoke, his voice sending shivers through her soul._

"_Little dragon, are you really so curious about a true monster's company? What is it that draws you to it? Let me show you then, for I know what it is…" He flashed his sharp canines at her, darting forward suddenly. The girl took several lurching steps backwards before realizing that he was gone, vanished into the very shadows._

_She could still sense him though. She could smell his soul, the intoxicating scent that beguiled her into believing that he wasn't a monster, even as she felt the weight of it crash down on her again, his deathly grey soul flooding over her, his sinisterly dark aura pushing against her, threatening to drown her even as his soul lapped at her crimson one as if it was the blood that he seemed to so covet. _

_She jerked as she felt hands twine around her waist and his cold breath brushed against her much warmer skin, a shriek escaping her throat. "I have always wondered what a dragon's blood would taste like, little one…" Waves of despair overwhelmed her as she felt a sudden sharp prick against her neck, the shadows dancing in sinister shapes around them-_

Sylvia tossed vainly in her sleep, locked in the nightmare.

* * *

_James sat staring at a new cell that had appeared only that day. It was labeled: "_Indecision" _Inside the cell were two individuals: Ren and Elsa. James shook his head, confused._

'_How is there indecision? I don't understand.' He thought to himself, fingers playing against the keys that lay on his side._

"_Wait, keys?" He said aloud, looking down at his side. Surely enough, there were a set of keys hanging from his side- each key with a label embossed on it. He quickly flipped to the key marked as_ Indecision_, pulling it out and slipping it into the lock, turning it._

_Both of the girls in the cell looked up at him, and James suddenly realized that this was the first time that he had opened up one of the cells. A ripping sensation tore through him, and he hit his knees, holding his head in his hands._

* * *

Miles away Elsa sat up screaming in bed. She arched her back, feeling a ripping sensation rush through her, tearing apart pieces of her, and she screamed again.

"Elsa!" Stein burst into the room, pulling the child into his arms. She just shrieked again, the scream full of pain.

"Stein?" There was fear in Marie's voice, and she reached one hand out to smooth Elsa's hair away from her face as the ten year old screamed again; Stein laying her down on the bed.

"Marie." He said calmly, holding out his hand. She looked worriedly at him for a moment, then transformed into her weapon form. Stein reached out to resonate with her immediately and she suddenly understood what he was wanting.

The weapon in his hand suddenly glowed a soft golden light, and he laid it directly on Elsa's chest, using his own soul to push Marie's wavelength higher and stronger. The light suffused them all.

_Marie and Stein opened their eyes to find themselves standing in Elsa's special room, her subconscious. A much younger Elsa sat on the operating table in the center of the room, her feet dangling over the side, a much too large lab coat draped around her small body. She was sobbing._

"_Elsa?" Stein said, moving towards him, only to find the room shaking with her sobs. He nearly lost his footing, and glanced at Marie, his look telling her of how dangerous this situation could become. "Elsa, look at me." He said quietly, inching towards her._

_She did as he asked, her eyes puffy and red. "He's gone, daddy." She said miserably. "Something happened and he's gone. I can't find him!" She walled._

"_Marie, if we don't calm her, her wavelength is going to destabilize." Stein whispered to his wife, reaching his hand out only to look at her in concern as she made a strangled noise. "You can't transform." She just shook her head in the negative; moving to stand closer to him as the room shook considerably. _

"_Elsa, sweetheart, please listen to us. No one is gone." Stein said gently, finally reaching his daughter, gently touching her shoulder._

"_You don't understand!" She wailed. "He's been here so long, I know he's gone! He's gone! I can't find him!"_

_Marie leaned against the table, eye level with her daughter. "Elsa Marie Stein, you stop right this minute." Stein chuckled as Elsa's sniffles trailed off. "Now then, who is gone?"_

_With a final sniffle Elsa answered in a voice so small both her parents almost missed it. _

"James. He's gone and I can't find him…" She blubbered into her mother's chest. Marie looked over at Stein, and he stood, going to call Azusa and Spirit.

* * *

*Ring*

*Ring Ring Ring*

"Yeah, what is it?" Spirit slurred into the phone.

"Spirit, check on James." Stein said, no explanation offered.

"Huh? What are you talking about, Stein?" Spirit blinked the sleep from his eyes.

"Just go check on James." Spirit mumbled something unintelligible into the phone, standing up to blink a bleary pair of eyes at the clock that was taunting him with 3:22am. Unsteady feet propelled him to James room, and he pushed the door open, letting a triangle of light fall on the boy's bed.

"He's sleeping, Stein. Like we should all be." Spirit said tiredly.

"Senpai, check on him. Wake him." Stein said crossly.

Spirit balanced the phone precariously between his shoulder and ear, reaching a hand out to gently shake his son's shoulder. "James?" Spirit's brow furrowed. "James!" He shook his son's shoulder more roughly. The phone fell from Spirit's shoulder as James' head lolled limply on his neck.

"AZUSA!"

* * *

Stein rushed back into Elsa's room, sweeping the girl into his arms. "We have to go, Marie." He gave no explanation, just walked out of the room, Elsa's arms wrapped around his neck as a renewed bout of tears erupted.

They were out of the lab and on their way before Marie even asked what was going on. Stein looked over at Elsa who was staring out the window, a blank look on her face. _"Something has happened to James. Spirit couldn't wake him when he went to check on him."_

Marie's face contorted as she fought the flow of tears. _"You think it has something to do with why Elsa woke up screaming?"_

Stein just nodded, looking back at Elsa. She still had that blank look on her face, her head tilted slightly to the side staring out the window without seeing anything,

* * *

_James sat in the cell he had just opened, its previous occupants having disappeared when he did. There was a gap that he couldn't place. Something was missing; something had been ripped out of him. He shook his head, trying to clear it, briefly watching his warden's uniform morph into something else. He couldn't place what it was though, but he was certain that it was important to him. _

_He looked towards the open door and wondered if he should leave. He couldn't make up his mind though. Part of him thought that leaving would be a good idea, and another part argued that staying would be just as good an idea. He lost himself debating on whether he should go or stay._

* * *

Elsa stared out the window, ignoring the constant distractions that the people they drove past provided. She ignored their glows. She ignored the murmur of their souls. She had a specific one to find, one that was hiding from her, elusive. It wasn't where it should be, tucked safely away beside her. No, it was missing. She felt something shifting inside her, and didn't care enough to realize that she was feeling a new emotion, one that she had never felt so keenly to understand what it was.

All she knew was that if James wasn't where he should be then it was obvious that he was somewhere else. Before she let herself get angry with him, she had to make sure that he wasn't just lost.

Elsa turned her head slightly when her father opened the car door and unbuckled the safety belt from around her, looking up at him. He silently scooped her up, and she laid her head against his shoulder, looking away from him. Marie led them to the door, knocking, and Azusa opened it.

Her hair was disheveled and her glasses were askew. Any other night and Marie would have made a joke about her and Spirit's pastimes in the bed, but she knew better than to tonight- there were tears brimming in Azusa's eyes.

"We can't wake him." Azusa said brokenly, stepping to the side as Marie and Stein entered. Marie pulled her friend into a hug, and Azusa broke down crying, clinging to Marie. Stein stepped around them and carried Elsa with him as he walked towards Spirit without even having to ask.

"_They're screaming."_ Elsa whispered into his ear, turning her head to face him. _"Spirit-sensei and Azusa-san are screaming at each other…"_

"_They're afraid for James."_ Stein said quietly back.

Elsa's voice was cold. _"James isn't here. He's gone. Why won't anyone listen to me?"_ Stein stopped, feet away from James' room and looked at Elsa. There was no madness swirling around her, and he could clearly see the pain in her eyes. _"James is missing. No one will listen to me. He's not here." _She repeated coldly.

"_Then where is he, Elsa?" _Stein asked in a hushed voice, looking at her still.

"_I don't know, that's why I've been trying to look for him, but he's not where he should be." _The edge was gone from her voice, but the pain wasn't. Stein turned the corner and walked into James' room.

Spirit sat on the side of James' bed, the boy's limp body clutched against Spirit's chest. The redhead was sobbing. "St-stein…" Spirit started, taking a deep breath before continuing. "How did you know? How could you have known that something was wrong with James?"

"I didn't know, Spirit. Elsa did." Stein paused as Elsa squirmed in his grip.

"Daddy, let me down!" She demanded and he felt it spark around her. "Let me down!" She nearly shrieked, tears in her eyes.

Cautiously Stein sat his daughter down, and she darted over to James' bed, climbing up into it, and then glared at Spirit. Spirit looked down at Elsa then over at Stein who just shrugged. Elsa wrapped her arms around James' waist, pulling him out of his father's grasp then adjusted him in the bed.

"Where are his glasses?" She asked suddenly, looking around. Spirit looked at her questioningly, and pointed to the table beside James' bed. Elsa smiled, pulling them out of the drawer and sipping them onto his face. "It'll be alright." She said, looking straight at Spirit as she curled up beside James, fast asleep a second after her head hit the pillow.

Spirit started to move her, but Stein's hand caught his. "Senpai, our children have always been incredibly close. Do you really want to interrupt whatever she is trying to do?" The red headed weapon just pulled his hand back to himself, sighing.

"I hope she knows what she is doing, Stein." He looked mournful.

"I'm sure she does, Senpai." Stein had no clue.

* * *

_Elsa floated, lost in the grey vastness that was all she had been able to see around James since they got to his home. It wasn't the light blue that she was used to it, warm and comforting. This was dull and bleak, but at the same time it seemed almost the opposite, almost as if it couldn't make up its mind about what shade of grey it would be._

_She shook her head, wondering why she was even here. Going back would be nice. But so would doing whatever it was she had come here to do. She sighed, unable to decide. She floated that way for a while, debating on whether to continue or not._

_A voice from behind her caused her to turn. "Not moving forward because you're too busy debating on whether or not to continue on is the same as choosing to stay still." A young girl said, she might have been five or so. Her hair was silver and her eyes were gold. Elsa smiled when she saw the stitches that adorned the girls dress._

"_You're me." She said suddenly, smiling as if she had just figured out a puzzle._

"_Go forward." Elsa blinked and the girl was gone._

"_Forward." Elsa repeated, and grinned, suddenly remembering what she was here to do. "I am going to find James!" She crowed._

* * *

_James sat in the cell, still debating on whether or not to leave. He just couldn't decide! It may have been minutes or years, James wasn't sure at all. Nor did he care- all that mattered right now was making the impossible decision of staying or not. He shook his head, sighing. _

"_It's just too difficult of a decision…" He muttered. A squeak of a door made him look up from his musings for a moment, but then he couldn't decide whether to keep looking or not so he sat there with one eye open and one eye closed, not quite looking in the right direction._

"_James?" The voice was familiar, but James wasn't sure if he should respond or not, so he remained quiet._

_Elsa walked across the prison's antechamber, eyes glued on the open door, her heels clacking against the flooring. She stopped outside the door, looking inside it to see James sitting just inside, a set of keys grasped in his hands. "James?" She called out softly, reaching a hand out to him, shuddering as she felt a terrible ripping sensation again. She didn't stop until she touched his arm, and then with a swift motion ripped the keys from his hand._

_James jerked to himself, spasming as his body convulsed inside the cell. Elsa's hand wrapped around his wrist and with a swift tug he was outside of it, his eyes snapping open._

* * *

Stein watched his daughter's soul grow. It was as if she was resonating, but he still couldn't see James' soul at all- it was as if she were lying next to a puppet. He watched as her soul convulsed, ripples running through it, and moved to surround both her and James' body. As he watched the convulsions in her soul became stronger and then, for a brief, terrifying second, he watched her soul dissolve. Before Stein could even move though it resolidified, shining brightly, and a tiny spark growing beside it. He watched, utterly fascinated as James soul appeared to rebirth itself from that spark, encompassing the boy before James' eyes shot open.

Spirit burst into tears, crushing James to his chest, the boys' glasses riding up his nose as he struggled against the embrace. "AZUSA!" Spirit shouted, right in James' ear, a massive grin splitting the death scythe's face. Azusa rushed in a second later, wrapping both James and Spirit in massive hugs.

Sylvia appeared in the doorway, tear tracks visible along her face as she looked in at her step-family. Shaking her head, unwilling to interrupt whatever had happened with her own problems she slipped back into her bedroom, no one aware she had even been there.

Stein watched James' and Elsa's souls for a while, smiling as they grew. He did notice that Elsa's seemed a bit weaker, and made a mental note to make sure that the damage was repairing itself. Moving over to her he slipped his arms underneath her, picking her up and out of James' bed. There was a look of panic that crossed James' face as he did and he studied the boy's wavelength before sighing. He had felt the tension in Elsa's as he moved her away from James- he had seen the panic in James'. He lowered Elsa into the bed and looked up at Spirit and Azusa.

"Do you still have a spare room?" Stein asked. "I believe that it is important they be allowed to remain together for a while for their souls to strengthen after what they just went through."

Azusa started to object and Spirit interrupted her. "Of course we do, Stein. What did they just go through, though?"

"I wish I knew, Spirit, but I can assure you it was trying for them both." Stein said, wrapping an arm around Marie, who buried her face into his chest.

James just pulled his glasses off, slipping them onto the table and sliding back into bed, facing Elsa, sharing his pillow with her. He was asleep within seconds.

* * *

**A/N: :-) I hope that you enjoyed this. Syl-chan and Kiru-kun belong to Fall-chan. James-kun and Elsa-chan belong to me! :D I don't own Soul Eater.**

**Thanks for the reviews- love you all! :D**


	25. A New Mission! A New Mission?

Marie woke earlier than Stein, the unfamiliar surroundings keeping her from sleeping well; sliding out of the bed she padded to James' room, opening the door and looking in at the two sleeping children.

James lay on his left side, Elsa on her right, both of them with a small smile on their face. James' arm was wrapped around Elsa's side, the other cushioning her head as Elsa lay curled against him, her head tilted down and slightly underneath the boy's chin against his chest. They looked peaceful. Marie smiled, feeling better and closed the door quietly, slipping to Azusa's kitchen to start some coffee.

'_We're definitely going to need the caffeine today…_' She thought to herself, smiling as she measured the scoops of coffee out. The coffee was brewing steadily a few minutes later and Marie sat at Azusa and Spirit's kitchen table, at a loss for what to do. Normally she would be making breakfast at this point, but she didn't want to intrude on however Azusa and Spirit did their mornings. With a sigh she leaned her head back, letting her eyes slip closed.

The smell of coffee brought Spirit awake, quite a bit earlier than he would have liked to be. Azusa stirred in the bed beside him and he blinked for a second, the previous night's events suddenly rushing back. Spirit carefully extracted himself from Azusa, moving quickly to James' room to check on him.

Spirit sighed in relief and let himself grin at the sigh in front of him. _"Oh James, Stein is going to cut you to pieces if you two keep this up…" _He murmured quietly.

"You have no idea." Spirit jumped as he felt Stein's hand land on his shoulder. "Let them sleep for now, though."

Spirit looked over at the scientist, the other man's eyes seeming to stare right through the children. "I've told you that it's creepy when you do that, Stein! Sneaking up on a person like that just isn't right." Stein glanced at him and just shrugged. Spirit shook his head, closing the door to James' room.

Stein walked down the hall a bit then turned when he noticed that Spirit wasn't with him. "I'm just checking on Sylvia." He explained, cracking the girl's door open.

Sylvia was sitting upright in the middle of her bed, dried tear tracks running down her cheeks, her knees pulled up to her chest. Spirit stepped into the room and called her name out softly. A muffled sob answered him, and Spirit pulled the door shut behind him. Stein looked at the door and shrugged, going downstairs to where he could sense Marie's soul, leaving Spirit to do his own parenting.

* * *

"Sylvia, honey, what's wrong? Tell Papa-chan." Spirit cooed, rubbing Sylvia's back, pulling the girl to him.

"It-it's nothing Spirit-sama…" She trailed off, bristling a little at Spirit calling himself Papa-chan, but didn't do anything about it besides pull away from him and sniffle.

"You've been awake all night, haven't you?" Spirit asked suddenly, giving her a quick hug. The child refused the comfort he was trying to provide.

"I couldn't sleep… and then there was something wrong with James-san and you screamed for Azusa-sama so I just stayed in my room. Is James-san alright?" She asked, trying to change the subject.

"He's fine, Sylvia. Why couldn't you sleep? Did you have a nightmare?" Before she could stop herself Sylvia nodded. "Was it the same one that you had the last time?" He asked gently and Sylvia shook her head.

"It was… similar… but not the same." She said slowly, her eyes closed for a second as she did.

"Want to tell me about it? You know if you tell someone a nightmare you can never have the same one again." Spirit smiled. Sylvia just shook her head. "You sure? It works, I promise." That smile again and Sylvia almost giggled.

"I'm fine, Spirit-sama. I promise." She said, wiping the last of the tears from her cheeks with her shirt sleeve.

"Alright, Sylvia. Just remember that if you ever need to talk to someone, you can talk to me or Azusa. We both love you, you know that?" Spirit said suddenly.

Sylvia's heart stopped, and she felt her cheeks heat up. _"I- I'm not your little one though…"_ She said quietly.

"You don't have to be related to us by blood for us to love you!" Spirit said, a grin on his face. "I, we, love you as much as we love James or even Maka. I hope you understand that, Sylvia." He gave the girl another hug. "Now let's go see if Azusa is awake yet- and if not, we'll wake her."

Spirit's grin was infectious and the young dragon stood, following her to check on Azusa. _"Don't get too comfortable. He's not your father."_ The voice came from nowhere, and Sylvia felt a shudder run down her spine, slipping her hand into Spirit's. Spirit's eyes widened slightly, but he squeezed her hand lightly, opening the door to his room so they could check on Azusa.

* * *

Azusa was up and moving, having already checked on James and Elsa. She was dressed, and getting ready to leave the room when Spirit opened the door, entering with Sylvia.

"Is something wrong?" Azusa asked suddenly, kneeling in front of Sylvia. Sylvia took a step behind Spirit unthinkingly.

Spirit's right hand snaked around his back to push Sylvia over to the left so she wasn't behind him. "She had a nightmare last night. We've talked about it- I thought we could come and see if you were awake now." He winked at his wife as he finished his sentence. "I'm getting hungry." A smirk pulled at his lips.

"Besides, Stein and Marie are already awake. Just James and Elsa are still asleep." Azusa just nodded.

"I know, I just checked on them." Azusa stood, stepping out of the room and waiting on the other two to leave as well, shutting the door. "What do you want for breakfast, Sylvia?"

Sylvia's mouth suddenly tasted as if it were full of ashes. "Rice and miso soup…" Sylvia said and Azusa laughed, ruffling her hair.

"At least someone agrees with me that that is breakfast!" Azusa said happily, the three of them going downstairs to get breakfast started.

"You didn't have to make coffee, Marie." Spirit said as they walked in and Marie just shrugged.

"I think that we're all going to need the caffeine today." Marie joked as the other three adults nodded. "How are they doing anyway?" She asked suddenly.

"They're fine. Their souls look to be just fine." Stein said, answering calmly.

Azusa busied herself around the kitchen, pulling out boxes of cereal before starting water to boil for rice and soup. "Will either of you two eat miso and rice?" She asked suddenly, looking at Stein and Marie. Both gave her a blank look. "That's fine, you two can have cereal with Spirit and the kids!" She said with a laugh, starting the cooking. They were done in a short time.

A sleepy yawn alerted the adults that James and Elsa were up. Elsa stood in the doorway, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Mother, daddy? Why are we at the Albarn's house?"

The adults looked at each other. "Don't you remember last night, Elsa?" Stein asked.

The girl blinked at him. "What do you mean, daddy? I went to bed last night and woke up here." She looked around the room and her eyes settled on Sylvia. "Who's that?" She asked suddenly, pointing.

Stein narrowed his eyes and shook his head. Elsa's soul was damaged, and it wasn't something he was sure would fix itself. "That's Sylvia…" Spirit's voice trailed off.

"Elsa, how old are you?" Stein asked, and Marie picked up on the worry in his voice.

"I'll be 8 in 4 days." She said cheerfully, her head tilted to her side, a smile on her face.

Marie broke down in tears and Elsa looked at her strangely. Spirit sat down in the chair he had been standing beside and Azusa covered her mouth with her hands. The adults were speechless.

"Imouto, you're 10." James' voice came from behind her, and Elsa turned and gasped.

"James, you're big!" She said, looking up at him.

"So are you. You're 10, not 7." He said firmly. Stein watched their souls closely, intrigued at how closely they seemed to be linked.

"You're lying." Elsa said suddenly, anger on her face.

"No, he's not honey." Marie's voice said unsteadily, tears running down her face. "You're 10 years old and you'll be 11 in a couple months. You're a student in the E.A.T class at the DWMA." Her voice cracked and Stein stood to wrap his arms around her.

Sylvia shook her head. "Elsa-san, you're an idiot." She said suddenly at Elsa glared at her. "I don't see how you could just forget the last couple years of your life." With a sudden movement Sylvia disappeared and a creature lunged at Elsa.

Elsa screamed. "It's a WITCH! Daddy, help!" She backpedaled until she hit James. Stein saw it then, a flash in their souls, and Elsa's seemed to grow stronger. Elsa shrieked as the strange creature settled around her throat.

"Sylvia, no!" Stein called out suddenly, darting forward even as Elsa's wavelength crackled and she brought both hands to her own neck, hitting the creature. The force of the attack knocked Elsa into James and took both children off their feet. Sylvia hit the ground hard, sliding against the table and knocking it and everything on it into the floor. She was breathing in ragged gasps. Spirit was at her side in a second. Azusa darted for James.

Elsa was curled up on the floor, sobbing. James had hit his head against the door frame and laid a few feet from her, unconscious. Elsa was muttering something under her breath.

Stein shook his head when he knelt down close enough to make out the words. _"I'm a monster. I'm a monster. I'm a monster."_ She was whispering over and over.

"Elsa, enough." He said, picking her up even as Azusa lifted James, taking him to the couch. "You are not a monster."

"Only a monster hurts their friends." She said miserably looking at Sylvia. _"I'm so sorry. I was so scared…" _She whispered.

"How old are you, Elsa?" Stein asked.

"I'm… I'm eleven." She said uncertainly. "No, I'm ten. I'll be eleven soon, a few months." She smiled suddenly. "James-kun will turn 13 before I turn 11 though. Sylvia-chan will still be 11 for a little while though, so we'll be the same age."

Marie breathed a sigh of relief, smashing Elsa to her chest in a huge hug as Stein smiled then moved to check on Sylvia and James. James was already sitting upright, his head in his hands as he shook it slightly, his glasses broken in the fall. Elsa craned her neck to look at the boy as her mother tried to crush her.

He gave her a weak smile. _"I forgive you, Imouto."_ He mouthed and she smiled.

Sylvia was hurt a little bit worse. She didn't have anything broken, but she did have a few contusions from her collision with the table. Stein didn't think that the bruises would last long; they were already healing as he watched with a smirk.

Suddenly James asked a question that made them all laugh.

"Do we have to go to school today?"

* * *

The children sighed as they climbed the long staircase up to the DWMA.

"You just had to ask!" Elsa pouted, Sylvia wrapped around her neck and (Elsa thought) purring, though it could have been a laugh.

"Would it have been better if you had asked?" James stopped, asking.

"Of course! My dad would do anything I asked." Elsa said smugly.

"Then try asking him to not give us homework again!" James grinned, waving his paper in front of her nose. Elsa and Sylvia both giggled, and the children reached the top of the stairs.

Walking through the hallways of the DWMA they slowly navigated their way to Class Crescent Moon, noticing that a large group of students had gathered in front of Reception, where the mission board was. Sitting down in their seats just before the bell rang, they waited patiently for Stein to finish taking role and call for the papers to be passed forwards.

"Alright class. Now, everyone, follow me." Stein said, rolling out of the room, leading them back to the Reception area and the mission board. "As you can see, there are quite a few more missions on the board today than there were just yesterday. A rash of small pre-kishins has been reported in Death City- so our training exercise for the day will be your first actual missions. Take one that will showcase you and your partner's talents. I'll see all of you tomorrow, and I expect success."

The class remained silent before there was a rush of students moving up to the board, all of them chattering, pointing out missions, grins and laughs all around. Stein smirked, none of these souls would prove a problem for any of the students here, he was certain of it.

Elsa and James waited until the others had chosen their missions and wandered off, moving up to the board to look at the remaining missions. There were tons. Elsa read the ones that she was tall enough to get to; James looked at the ones he could reach.

"Hey, Sylvia? Could you look at the ones on the top? Neither of us can reach them." James asked, looking over his shoulder. Sylvia was gone. "Hey, Elsa, where's Sylvia."

Elsa took a step away from the board, closing her eyes and concentrating for a second. She turned and pointed. "She's over there… but she's with two other people." James snagged the mission from the board that he had been contemplating and walked over the two children walked over to where Sylvia was.

"Hey, Syl-chan?" Elsa called, stepping around the corner and stopped when she recognized who Sylvia was with. The look Elsa gave Kiru could have killed a prekishin on its own. "We've got a mission the three of us can do." Elsa said, trying to keep the venom out of her voice as she glared at the boy. He just smirked.

Stein looked up from talking with Marie when he felt the tension in Elsa's soul flare. He raised an eyebrow, but stood where he was, carrying on the conversation as if nothing had happened.

Nicole wrapped her arms through Sylvia's pulling the girl closer to her. "Kiru and I thought that we'd take her on the mission with us! I know that you two probably want some time to get to work closer together, she said that she's an autonomous weapon, and we thought it'd do her some good to get to work with a meister she hasn't gotten to yet!" Nicole said cheerfully.

Elsa's glare turned to Nicole. "Kiru was an asshole yesterday and now he wants to be nice to her? That's a lie." She said.

"Alright, it was my idea!" Nicole said, a slight blush on her face. "I thought it would be the nice thing to do after what he did to her." She smiled brightly. "Is that a problem?" Kiru just smirked from the corner he stood in.

Elsa started to say something, but James put his hand on her shoulder. "If that's what Sylvia wants, that's fine." Elsa looked pleadingly at Sylvia.

"_It is…"_ Sylvia whispered. _'I'm going to face my fears on my own, Elsa-san.'_ She thought silently.

Elsa turned in a huff and stalked off.

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 26 will start the featurettes for our featured OCs (meaning their fights and reactions with the missions they accepted and the partner they are working with) starting with *gasp* Elsa and James. Stay tuned!**

**The only OCs I own are Elsa and James. I don't own Soul Eater, Syl, Kiru, or Nic. (Or anyone else)**

**Thanks for the reviews- love you all! :D**


	26. Kareshi?

Elsa stormed past James, stomping out of the DWMA. James started to reach out and grab her arm, but stopped himself, letting her work her anger out without stopping her. He walked slowly behind her, sitting down on the step beside her as she seethed.

"Elsa, just calm down. You know how Sylvia is- no matter how friendly we've been she's always been a bit standoffish. Let her make some friends beyond us, it's not going to mean she's not still our friend." He said consolingly.

"It's… it's just that this is our first mission. I thought we would all do it together!" Elsa said suddenly, flopping backwards to stare up at the only sky she had ever known.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Elsa. The two of us will be fine- and besides, I know what mission they took, so if we hurry and get ours done we can go and watch them. You know, cheer her on while they defeat the prekishin they're going after." James gave Elsa his best smile.

Elsa flew to her feet, giggling, and grabbed his hand. "Then we better get a move on!" She cheered out, dragging her weapon almost off his feet and down the steps. Stein and Marie shared a laugh before following at a discrete distance.

* * *

"Elsa, you can slow down." James called out from his weapon form. He felt Elsa's hand tighten on his handle. "Elsa, you're going to be exhausted once we finally find the kishin we're going after. Slow down and think!"

"Onii-chan, I'll be fine. We have to hurry, remember, so we can watch Sylvia and the other two!" Elsa took a running leap, almost missing the next rooftop. James was in human form immediately, his hand grabbing her wrist and making sure she didn't. "I can do it myself, James." She said crossly.

James just shrugged, turning back into his weapon form, a smile crossing his face as he did, remembering the first time that he had and Elsa had dropped him. She caught his handle smoothly this time though, darting across the rooftops towards the location that had been written on the mission slip.

They arrived shortly afterwards, and Elsa skidded to a stop, her feet sliding out from under her as the prekishin stepped directly into her path.

"They send a child after me?!" The thing howled in laughter. "They send a child after Putnim Tastmir?" Laughter ripped out of it again.

Stein stood out of sight on a nearby rooftop, Marie in weapon form with him. He smirked a bit as he watched James pop out of his form, grabbing Elsa and dragging her to her feet seconds before the first clawed attack landed where she had been. Watching through a mirror in the death room Spirit and Azusa smiled proudly.

James took his weapon form again, feeling Elsa slip her fingers through the brass knuckles that made up his handle. _'You ready to get our first soul, Elsa?'_

'_You mean your first soul! I will make you a death scythe!' _Elsa crowed in James' mind. His reflection in the barrel of the gun grinned.

'_Then let's go!'_ Elsa darted at the prekishin, and it was obviously a surprise to the creature that she did. With a shout Elsa thrust at the thing, and it pulled back to avoid the blade. A savage grin split Elsa's face as it did and she swung her left hand up to meet the thing's stomach. Her wavelength surged and Stein could hear her cry of triumph as the prekishin went flying, hitting a chimney and crumpling it, collapsing underneath the bricks. He let himself smile, moving enough to continue observing.

Elsa grinned, darting towards the collapsed chimney and the prekishin she thought was underneath it. As she neared it she realized her mistake, and turn quickly on her heel as she felt the thing's soul rise up from behind her. The monstrosity's clawed hand flashed towards her stomach and Elsa's eyes widened in fear.

Stein almost stepped out from behind the chimney he was watching from, Marie screaming at him to do so. Marie changed from her weapon form, darting to go to her daughter's side, but Stein caught her waist, one hand clamping over her mouth. _"Marie, she HAS to do this on her own!"_

James was quicker than either of them had anticipated. With a flash he was in front of the creature, his feet snaking out to sweep the prekishin's feet out from underneath it. It landed with a thunk across from Elsa.

"Elsa, on your feet!" James shouted, transforming. "This isn't practice- that thing will kill you!"

A look of determination crossed Elsa's face as she caught James. "They didn't send a child after you. They sent a weapon and meister team." She hissed out to the thing. "And we weren't sent after you; we're here to claim you soul in the name of Lord Death! James!"

"Yeah, we can do this!"

"**Soul Resonance!" ** They cried out together.

"_They've never practiced that, Franken!"_ Marie gasped in surprise, pulling his hand off her mouth.

"Resonance is natural for some people. You didn't think that they wouldn't be able to, did you? They are the children of death scythes and powerful meisters." Stein smirked.

"Don't get too conceited!" Marie laughed, watching James and Elsa.

The two children were glowing, their souls feeding each other rapidly. There was a light green glow surrounding them and as their respective parents watched it settled over the two children, Elsa's eyes shining like molten gold as James' weapon form grew, the blade becoming more distinct even as the barrel elongated. Elsa's face contorted into a grin.

'_I'm going to be just like daddy now!' _She thought triumphantly as she slammed James' new blade directly into the things skull, pulling the trigger even as she flipped up to pull James out, the prekishin's head split nearly perfectly down the middle. A second later she landed on the ground in front of the thing's mottled red soul.

"We did it!" Elsa screamed to the sky, grabbing James in a massive hug as he took his human form. "James, we did it!" Her laughter echoed through the empty streets. James couldn't help but laugh with her.

"We did it, Elsa. You did it. You killed that prekishin." A smile bloomed across his face. "We're going to be unstoppable, you know that right?" It was then that the twelve year old realized that he was still holding his meister, and a blush spread across his cheeks, and he stepped away from her slightly.

'_Just like daddy.'_ A voice echoed through her head, and Elsa grinned, stepping towards James and giving him a quick kiss. James fell backwards, a shocked expression on his face. "We're going to be a perfect team, James!" Elsa cheered. "Now then, you have a soul to eat!"

James stood, trying to figure out why Elsa would have just done that, but he smiled as she dragged him over to the now floating soul. "Wait… how do I eat it?" He asked suddenly, feeling himself blush again.

"Don't you just open your mouth and swallow it?" Elsa asked, looking confused.

The very thought of swallowing that tainted soul made James turn slightly green. "Would you want to swallow it?" He asked Elsa.

"I can't." She said, looking at him.

"That wasn't what I asked, imouto." James walked around the soul, looking at it from all angles, feeling his revulsion of it grow the longer that he looked at it.

"You haven't tried to eat when my daddy's cooked, have you?" She said. "Compared to some of his… culinary experiments… I bet that thing would taste delicious." She laughed at the joke.

James reached out and took the soul in his hand, holding onto the tail. Tilting his head back he dangled it above his mouth, and nearly vomited as it touched his lips, holding the soul away at arm's length, the disgust plain on his face.

"I have an idea, James!" Elsa called out suddenly. "Transform back!" She grinned. He did as she asked. _'Now imagine eating it!' _She whispered in his mind.

James closed his eyes, carefully imagining the soul being consumed. Elsa watched, fascinated, as the soul glowed and was absorbed into the chamber of the gun in her hand. "It worked!"

James took his human form, hands on his stomach. There was no nausea. He smiled. "Elsa, you're a genius!" His eyes grew wide as she darted at him again; pressing her lips against his, but this time she didn't pull away immediately. Tentative arms reached around her back and he kissed her back.

Stein hissed and took a step forward. A laughing Marie blocked his path. _"We're only here to observe, remember?"_ She asked. _"You know they have feelings for each other- as long as it's only a kiss, let it be, Franken."_ To punctuate her statement she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss, a grin on her face.

Spirit howled in laughter. Azusa glared at him, and even Lord Death cracked a smirk at the sight that was on the mirror. "Those two are growing up fast." Lord Death said, trying to keep his voice smooth. "Not that I suspected anything less, given whose children they are!" Azusa turned her glare on both men, and the reaper and death scythe cringed, cowering in the corner.

"They are ten and twelve! They are far too young for that kind of behavior!" She raged at the two men before standing up straight, fixing her glasses. "I expect you to have a talk with James, Spirit."

"But… Zuzu… if I do, he'll know that we were watching and wasn't the whole point of this to keep them from knowing we were watching them? And besides, we were supposed to watch Sylvia's battle too." Spirit said, searching for a way out.

Mention of Sylvia made Azusa turn back to the mirror. "Has her group even left the school yet?"

Lord Death cocked his head to the side. "Not as far as I can tell Zu-nya." He said. Azusa just sighed.

* * *

James and Elsa pulled apart, both of them blushing. "I'm sorry…" James murmured.

"Don't be!" Elsa said quickly. "I did it first. I should be the one saying sorry. If my daddy… dad saw that, he'd want to dissect you." She looked to the side and tilted her head. "Oh no…" Worry crossed her face as she stepped away from James.

James followed her gaze, and could just barely sense two souls. "Elsa, I can't tell who that is." He said quietly.

"I'm not sure, I was afraid it was another prekishin." She lied quickly, her parents' wavelengths already retreating.

"We can hurry and see Sylvia's battle if you want, or we can go get some ice cream and not bother her." James said. "It might be better if we don't. Her new friends may think we're too clingy and that would look bad on Sylvia."

Elsa looked up at James, and tilted her head to the side, smiling. "That's a great idea, James!" She took a running jump and jumped off the building they were standing on, landing nimbly on a set of stairs.

"Elsa, think fast!" James shouted, jumping over the edge, transforming halfway down. Elsa looked up, laughing, dashing to where he was falling, and with a flourish caught the weapon in her hand. She mimed shooting something then blew imaginary smoke away from it before James turned back into his human form, laughing.

"So, ice cream?" She asked suddenly. "They already gave us our allowance for being students, may as well enjoy it!" James laughed, nodding. James slipped an arm around her shoulders as they walked, unconsciously emulating his father, his other hand slipped into the pocket of his pants.

"James?" Elsa stopped, asking suddenly.

"Yeah, Elsa?" He asked, turning to look at her.

Elsa's face was serious, yet there was no trace of the terrifying person he had seen there before. He felt himself relax for a second before she started speaking. "James, I don't want you to be my onii-chan anymore."

James tensed and stepped away even as Elsa's face broke into a smile and her head tilted to the side. "I want you to be my boyfriend!" She flung herself at him, giggling, and the two children went down in a tangle.

James couldn't help but laugh with her. "I'd love to be your boyfriend, Elsa."

Two parents planned, two parents plotted. Oh, the joys of young love.

* * *

**A/N: Elsa's pic is linked in my profile (she's 6 in it, thanks to duos-deathscythe for it! It's not in color yet, but I was impatient.) This was the first of our featurettes. Yes, I'll be starting to pair some of them up in them :) Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews!**

**I don't own Soul Eater. Or any OCs except James and Elsa.**


	27. Reckless Halves

Avalon stood in front of his meister, Melody. Melody stood in the middle of the board, muttering underneath her breath. Avalon let himself smile when he made out what she was saying.

"_Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe, catch a tiger by its toe…" _Melody's eyes were closed at this point, and she almost hit another student before Avalon caught her arm.

"Hey, Mel, we're not going to randomly pick what our mission is. We want to be able to succeed and at the same time see what we can do together, alright?" He said quietly to her, his English accent making a few of the gathered female students around him blush. He ignored them all, looking at the board as Melody nodded her assent.

Her lilting French voice was humming now, right in his ear. Occasionally she would whisper a word in French that he assumed was whatever song she was humming, though how the words "cat, house, boat and face" were all in the same song was beyond him, but he smiled as they perused the missions that were left.

"What about this one, Avalon?" Melody asked suddenly, stretching to reach the mission that she had been reading, her tank top riding up dangerously on her stomach.

"Let me get that, Melody." Avalon said, reaching to grab the mission the girl was straining for.

"Merci, Avalon!" She said happily, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

Avalon read the mission over quickly and nodded. Melody grinned and threw her arms around Avalon's neck in a quick hug before pulling him out of the school.

"Melody, you don't even know where we're going yet!" Avalon said once they hit the bottom of the stairs.

"Of course I do, silly." She said, grabbing his hand again to pull him on. Avalon stood his ground, pulling her back to him.

"Melody, the mission we took is done at night." He said quietly.

Melody blushed and looked down at her feet. "I guess I'm the silly one now." She said, scuffing her shoe against the concrete.

"Gives us plenty of time to go home, get some rest, and do the reading we know is going to be due." Avalon said, draping his arm around Melody and leading her toward the apartment they shared.

"You mean time for you to read… you're not going to rest, or even sleep." Melody said, and Avalon could feel the tension in her shoulders.

"You know as well as I do that I don't sleep much for a reason." He said quietly.

"Yeah I know. Cauchemars…" Melody trembled.

"They've not been too bad, Melody." Avalon said, trying to lighten the mood. "I've only had one cup of coffee today and I feel fine for a change."

"Promise?" She asked, her accent strong.

Avalon smiled and nodded. "I promise."

* * *

They waited the rest of the day in the apartment, Avalon making sure that Melody didn't get distracted and got the reading done. By the end of it he was feeling the effects of not sleeping the night before, but the nightmares were something he wasn't willing to risk. Not with Melody in the same apartment. He didn't need to wake up from one to find that he'd accidentally sliced down a door… or her.

"It's nearly dark!" He heard Melody sing out and he smiled. He really did like her accent, unlike his own.

"Then let's go." He said quietly, ignoring his accent. _'It'll be gone soon enough, I've lived here in the states long enough.'_ The thought brought a smile to his face.

"We can move quieter if it's just one of us right, Avalon?" Melody asked and the boy nodded, transforming into his weapon form. She slipped it through her belt with practiced ease, his handle setting just at her waist, the blade extending to the top of one of her long socks. With a rush she flung herself through the window.

'_I've warned you about doing stuff like that!'_ Avalon's disembodied voice echoed from the blade.

"C'est la vie!" Melody sung out in French and Avalon smiled. Melody took off, running down the streets, heading towards the location printed on the back of the mission slip they had taken.

* * *

An hour later they were standing in front of a butcher's shop, a single light burning inside it. Melody darted around the side, looking for a window or anything that she could slip in, the flat of Avalon's blade knocking against her knee occasionally.

'_Finally!' _She crowed mentally and Avalon smiled as she found an open window to the basement. Crawling in she dropped to her feet, crouched, and winced when Avalon's blade scraped against the concrete floor.

The smell of blood assailed them. The basement was unlit, and Melody closed her eyes, desperately trying to sense the soul that she knew had to be in here, her wavelength bending out of shape with the strain.

'_Melody, stop it! You can't go getting sick because you're pushing yourself too hard on our first mission!'_ Avalon admonished her gently._ 'Did you listen to me and bring a flashlight?' _Melody blushed and reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone and using it for light.

The light illuminated the area that was obviously the butcher's work space. It also illuminated the butcher. He stood over a table, his cleaver in his hand, blood sprayed all over the apron he was wearing. A woman lay on the table in front of him, just short of being completely unrecognizable as a person.

"B-Butcher P-Pete…" Melody took a deep breath as the prekishin laughed. "We're here for your soul!"

He was darting for her before she finished speaking, but Melody dodged out of the way at the last second, pulling Avalon free from her belt and slashing the man as he darted past.

"More meat comes!" He shouted as he rushed her again, ignoring the wound that the young meister had just given him. Melody brought Avalon up just in time to parry the attack, and swung her hand at the man. She connected solidly with his stomach and she felt a rush of triumph as she surged her wavelength through him.

Or rather, she tried to. Unfortunately, like Soul Perception, it was something that Melody hadn't managed to do yet, and she felt the all too familiar nausea set in as she expelled far too much of her wavelength for nothing. Fortunately the attack pushed the man away from her.

'_Melody, don't try anything else fancy! It'll just get both of us killed! Take him down, fast!'_ Avalon's voice ran through her mind.

"Oui." She said quietly, darting to the man, ignoring the nausea. She slashed him again, and again he ignored the wound, this time scoring a slice with his bloody cleaver across her forearm.

Melody hissed in pain. "Avalon…"

"**Soul Resonance!"**

"_**Sword Curve!"**_ Melody shouted, and Avalon's blade grew larger, heavier and had a more pronounced hook. With a vicious slice she caught the man's head, cleaving it from his body.

In a blast of red and black energy the body dissolved, leaving the red mottled soul of a kishin egg floating in front of the two of them.

"We did it, Avalon!" Melody said, her left hand gripping the cut on her right arm as Avalon transformed back to his human form.

"We brought bandages and gauze." Was his answer, pulling them from the backpack that Melody wore, and moving to wrap the gauze around her arm. "We'll go inform Professor Stein of our success and see if he can help your arm."

Melody smiled up at him. "Alright, Avalon. But now, eat it!" Avalon smiled and turned, grabbing the soul in his hands and took a bite out of it, much like an apple. In three chomps he had finished it, and he turned back to Melody.

"Thanks." He said, smiling.

"Anytime! Now, let's go see the Professor!"

* * *

Two hours later Avalon was carrying his patched up meister back to their apartment. Stein had given them a passing grade, and the next day off thanks to her injury. It hadn't required stitches, but he had cleaned and bandaged the wound.

As Avalon laid the sleeping Melody in bed he brushed the hair away from her face and smiled, his lips pressing briefly against her forehead.

* * *

**A/N: That was, my dear readers, Melody and Avalon, TheAUWalker's OC's. I hope that you enjoyed meeting them. Up next for your reading pleasure are Ren and Valquez. They belong to Eivestx-kun.**

* * *

Ren looked hesitantly at Valquez as they stood in front of the mission board, children crowded around them as an entire class tried to look at the board at one time. "Are there any good ones for us?" She asked quietly, one hand tugging at his red tux while the other twirled the jade earring she was wearing.

Valquez thought as he looked over the mission board, carefully examining the missions even as Ren repeated the question. "One second, please." He said, smiling down at her. She just nodded, moving a little closer to him as the crowd pushed against the board, twenty other students also wanting to pick their missions. "Got it!" Val said, snatching a mission from the top of the board.

They moved away from the other students, and Val showed Ren the mission post he had grabbed from the top. Ren read it out loud, standing against the wall.

"Wanted: Marcus Samuels

Threat: Medium

Requirements:

Soul Perception, low

Hand to hand, low

Melee, recommended

Ranged, recommended

Haunts the lower district, active during the midmorning, picking off the lone worker in the factories that lags behind on lunch breaks. Form seems to be unstable, so hand to hand is not recommended."

A grin broke out across Ren's face. "That doesn't seem too bad!"

"Of course not, and you're doubly suited for it. We'll get your first soul today, and still have time to make it back for our checkups." Ren smiled, and the two left the school, the mission form clutched in Ren's hand.

* * *

An hour later the two were sitting on top of a factory overlooking the area where the lunch trucks parked. Ren yawned, bored with their stakeout, but Val kept sharp eyes on the lookout. "Ren, would you mind using Soul Perception? Perhaps the prekishin is already here." Ren nodded, closing her eyes.

She could count 73 souls in the building directly below them, which accounted for all of the workers that had come in for the day. "The only souls we're close enough for me to sense are the workers below us, and they're all still accounted for."

Val just nodded, crouched on the edge of the building. Ren kept her eyes closed, and to the passing observer (if there was one on a roof) she would have appeared to be asleep. In reality she kept on counting and recounting all the souls that she could sense, including their two souls in the tally. She turned her music up as she studied the souls around them, knowing that now wasn't the time to ask Val to play his small flute for her.

Below them the workers started flooding out of the building, heading towards the lunch trucks. Val counted them all, and came up one short. "Ren? Is anyone still in the building?" He touched her shoulder and she looked up at him, and he repeated the question.

She nodded. "Two souls."

"How many are out there with the lunch trucks?" Ren stood, walking over to the edge of the building, and closed her eyes, focusing. "74. I can just barely feel the two lunch truck workers."

"No good. We've got an extra soul." Ren looked at him, then down at the roofing beneath their feet. Her eyes grew wide.

"Val, one's coming fast!" She shrieked, darting away from the edge just in time.

"Ren, transform!" In a flash of light Ren was in her flintlock pistol form, Val raising her up to shoot the prekishin as it emerged onto the roof, destroying part of it. Val rolled out of the way, pulling the trigger again, and watched in dismay as the blast hit the thing's body and literally bounced off. "Ren, scimitar!" A moment later he was holding a wickedly sharp, long curved blade.

He didn't get the chance to swing, the prekishin slammed into him, knocking him back against the door that led to the stairs down, Ren flying from his hand. She hit the ground and skidded, sliding almost to the edge, taking her human form, her ears ringing from the impact.

The thing saw her and murder gleamed in its eyes. "REN!" Ren looked up as Val screamed her name, the thing darting at her. A second later, Val slammed into it, both of them flying off the roof.

"VALQUEZ!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs, dashing to the side they had fallen off, and felt tears well in her eyes as she looked down. Val hung by his fingertips from a window one story down, the thing's broken body below him, its soul rising out of it as she watched. Darting to the stairs down she found them blocked, and dropped through the hole the thing had made in its initial attack, swiftly locating the room where Val was hanging.

"Next time, we do not fight on a roof." Val said, shrugging as she helped pull him in the window. "Now, let's go get your soul."

The pair carefully came down the stairs, exiting the building to a small crowd of individuals staring at the masonry lying on the ground. _"Normal humans can't see souls, and when a prekishin is defeated, that's all that is left, Ren."_ Val explained quietly as they walked around the crowd and Ren touched the soul delicately.

"_Do I just chew it up?"_ She asked suddenly.

"_You're the weapon, Ren."_ Val whispered, smiling a bit.

Ren wrapped her fingers around the soul, and smiled. With a flip she tossed the soul in the air like a peanut, opening her mouth wide and caught it perfectly, swallowing it in one gulp. She giggled slightly, a tingling sensation flooding through her.

"Let's go, Ren." Val said, motioning away from the factory. She nodded.

* * *

Ren flopped down on the couch in their apartment, fingering the small hand harp she held in her hands. Shortly thereafter music slipped through the apartment, and a haunting melody echoed from Val's room a second later, joining with the harps for a few minutes as the two of them drained the tension from their bodies through the song. Ren fell asleep shortly after, propped up against the side of the couch.

Val took the time to shower, removing the powdered masonry from his skin and threw his clothing into the washer. Stepping into the living room and finding Ren asleep he allowed himself a smile and picked the smaller girl up, carrying her into her room and laying her in bed. Leaving he closed the door quietly, and went to read some of the required reading for the E.A.T. class.

'_I'll remind her to do it when she wakes up, and also to shower. She was covered in the masonry as well. I'll make sure to throw her sheets in with our clothing so there isn't any of the dust left on them for tonight.'_ He thought to himself as he began reading.

An hour later he was asleep in nearly the same position as Ren had been.

* * *

**A/N: I hope that you all have enjoyed meeting these two OC pairs and seeing a little bit of what makes them tick. Tomorrow will feature the remaining two pairs. **

**Thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews!**

**I don't own Soul Eater or the OCs in this chapter.**


	28. Dangerous Pastimes and Double Trouble

Artemis leaned against the wall, letting Trevor pick their mission. _'He'll complain if he doesn't get to pick the right one.'_ She chuckled wryly. She watched as he took what had to be close to fifteen minutes just to pick it out, and sighed, fidgeting while she waited.

"Trevor, someone may kill our prekishin by mistake if you don't hurry up." She called out teasingly.

"You know that we have to have the mission that perfectly complements us. If we don't, then we won't succeed." He replied, still looking through the missions.

"Oh come on Trev! Grab one for the beginners, it doesn't matter. We have to get moving or we will fail our very first assignment." Artemis said, moving over to stand beside the boy. "What about this one? It looks fine."

"No. See that? It's for a pairing that has a high soul perception. Ours isn't that finely tuned yet." Artemis sighed and picked another at random, ready to be gone.

"And this one?"

"The target only emerges at night. This would mean hunting at night, which handicaps our ability to use our talents to their best."

"Well, then it's a good way to test our abilities!" She countered.

"No."

Artemis leaned against the board, dislodging one of the mission slips by accident. Trevor darted to pick it up before she could. "Genius, Artemis! This one is perfect." He said after reading it through.

She took the mission slip from him and laughed. "Trevor, this is for a 2 star team. We're still a 1 star team."

"Exactly. But trust me; we can do it." He said firmly and Artemis shrugged.

"You're paying the medical bills if I get hurt." She said, smiling slightly.

"Deal. And you cook for the next two weeks when neither one of us do." He quipped back, leading the way out of the DWMA.

* * *

The two stood on top of a roof, looking down at the building that was supposedly the area where the kishin egg they were after spent her days. Trevor took a running jump, landing nimbly on the other rooftop, Artemis landing silently beside him a second later. With only a glance Artemis took her trident form, and Trevor carefully weighed her in his hand.

'_The weight seems off, almost heavier.'_ He told her silently. A flash of light and she was in her human form again, and one hand slapped his face before she retransformed. _'It must have been my imagination.'_ He said mentally when she was fully transformed and in his hand again.

'_You're damn right it was.'_ She thought back as Trevor darted in to the old building through a broken window.

The interior of the building was dark and stank of decay and mold. Trevor waited patiently while his eyes adjusted and then began moving deeper into the building. He could sense something just out of sight, just beyond the next corner, but something seemed to be messing with his soul perception because he didn't sense one or two things, but a whole roomful. He slowed to almost a crawl before rounding the corner and stared in shock at the sight that the suddenly lit room showed him.

There were about ten people inside it, each of them strapped down to something, be it a chair a table, the floor or whatever. Most looked to still be alive, though one in the far corner was obviously dead, a blue soul floating above the body. Each person in the room was male with the sole exception of the prekishin that was crouched over the dead body, getting ready to eat the soul.

Trevor charged, darting across the room as the thing swallowed the poor man's soul. She turned to him, a grin spreading across her garishly painted lips. "Come play, little boy." She whispered seductively. "I could always use new playthings."

Trevor slammed Artemis's prongs into her stomach. She laughed, pulling away from it, blood dripping onto the corpse she was standing over. "That hurt, little boy. I just want to play." A hand swatted at him and Trevor went to duck, but tripped over a body behind him. The things nails cut into his skin, ripping four deep gashes in his chest as he fell, agony burning through them.

She sucked his blood of her fingertips as he stood, woozy. _'Poison.'_ He realized suddenly.

'_Trevor, move!'_ Artemis screamed his head and he barely brought her up in time to block the woman's second attack. He swung through and managed to connect again, this time the woman coughed up a blackish-red blood that stung his arms where it hit them. Trevor backed up, trying to lure her out of the room.

It worked. They both went tumbling into the darkened hallway, the woman illuminated by the light spilling out of the room they had just exited.

'_Artemis… sword…'_ Trevor thought weakly, the poison in his bloodstream making it hard to focus. _'I guess there was a reason this was for two star teams.'_ He thought to himself as Artemis slid into her sword form.

"Madame Red, I am here for your soul for the crimes you have committed against Lord Death and the natural order." Trevor said, his vision blacking along the edges as she dashed towards him.

"Good luck taking it, boy!" She hissed, her nails dragging against his arm as she collided with him.

'_Trevor!'_ Artemis' voice screamed out.

Desperation fueled them, and their souls reached out, resonating. _**"**_**Soul Resonance!" **Artemis' blade grew longer.

'_Trevor, we can't!'_ The woman darted at them again, this time catching Trevor's side, tearing a long gash.

He could feel his vision blackening; soon he knew he wouldn't be able to continue the fight. _**"Samurai Spirit!"**_He screamed, slashing Artemis down in a vicious arc as he felt his own soul's wavelength fluctuate.

The woman hit the ground, the two halves of her body dissipating even as Trevor hit his knees, blood streaming from a half dozen wounds. He fell face first to the floor as the red soul appeared directly beside him.

Artemis screamed.

* * *

His weapon sat beside his hospital bed, Nygus tending to the wounds he had received.

"He's lucky to be alive. If you had taken any longer getting him here he wouldn't be." Nygus said, looking over at the girl. Artemis had stopped crying, though the tear tracks were still on her face. "I'm sorry they confiscated the soul from you two, but it's to teach you a lesson about not taking on something that's far too dangerous."

Artemis just nodded, not really hearing Nygus. Nygus shook her head and left the room, leaving Artemis holding her meister's hand, fresh tears falling as she whispered to him.

"_Just open your eyes, Trevor. That's all I want now. I don't care about any soul other than yours. I just want it to be vibrant and healthy…"_

* * *

**A/N: That, dear readers, was your introduction to the lovely OCs owned by Greekhuntress101. **

**Up next are Zane and Chloe, who are owned by cjsylvester. Thanks to both for letting me use them!**

* * *

Chloe darted to the board, grabbing the first appropriate mission that she found and flashed it at Zane. "This one good?" She asked, grinning.

Zane shrugged. "Sure. Let's get this over with asap, yeah?" Chloe nodded, and went to move past him and knocked straight into another student.

"Watch it, twerp." The boy sneered, his nose having obviously been broken sometime recently.

Chloe laughed. "Twerp? Move, idiot."

The boy laughed, and darted a hand out to punch her. Zane moved quickly, grabbing the boy's hand and with a flick of his wrist flipped the older boy over and onto his back.

"When will you N.O.T. kids learn to leave us E.A.T. kids alone?" He asked quietly releasing the other boy's hand, Chloe laughing at his side.

"You know, it's generally the strong that bully the weak, not the other way around." Chloe teased, fighting hard to suppress the laughter.

"I'll show you strong!" The boy raged, jumping to his feet, and whirled on Zane, swinging. Zane didn't even bother dodging, he just transformed, Chloe catching him easily, then adjusted her grip to hold him by the barrel, cracking the other boy in the back of the head with the handle.

The other boy screamed in frustration, and turned to swing at Chloe, who just laughed and tossed Zane into the air over the boy's shoulder and transformed, Zane catching her in her blade form. He tapped the flat of the blade against the boy's arm.

"I don't feel like going to get a teacher just to beat the crap out of you, so please, refrain from ever speaking to Chloe again, yes?" He slid the blade up until the tip of the katana was at the boy's throat. "Do we have an understanding?"

The boy gulped. "Ye-yeah." He turned and darted away.

"Let's go, Chloe. I want to get this done with." She nodded happily, and the two left the DWMA.

* * *

The two weapon/meisters stood at the top of a three story building, staring down at the basketball court that the two prekishins they were hunting were said to frequent. The sun was going down in the west and the moon was just peeking its face over the horizon. There was blood dripping from its teeth tonight.

"That's a good sign!" Chloe said. "Means we'll shed some of their blood."

"Let's hope it's not the other way around, Chloe." Zane chided. "Mind starting off in your weapon form? We might get lucky and snipe one before they know we're here." Chloe pouted and then nodded, transforming.

An hour later two figures emerged from the dark and stood in the middle of the basketball court. They each took a side, and one of them was holding a soul in its hand. It bounced the light blue soul like a basketball, shrill laughter echoing through the night as they proceeded to play with it. Zane shook his head in disgust, lining up a shot and taking it.

The first prekishin went down, a blast of soul wavelength tearing through its head. The second one grinned, laughing shrilly as it grabbed the blue soul and shouted for the world to hear. "I win!" And in one smooth gulp ate it. It then eyed the red soul floating in front of it longingly, and reached out to it. "Waste not want not!" It chuckled.

*BAM*

Something must have warned it. The boy darted away, the shot missing and he looked up at them, shrill laughter reaching the two as he tilted his head back and ate the other prekishin's soul.

"NO!" Chloe shrieked. "We took the mission because there were going to be two souls!" She took her human form, darting down from the building.

Zane sighed, rushing after her, transforming when he got close enough. She caught him, shouting in wordless rage as she swung him by the barrel at the prekishin. He darted back, laughing again. "Waste not want not!" It repeated, and darted at Chloe.

She barely brought Zane up in time to shoot, and nearly missed her target. She smirked though as she back flipped, one of the things arms hung limply at its side. "Yeah, waste not want not." She taunted. "Come and get your dinner, you disgusting thing."

It darted at her again, and this time she lined up the shot perfectly. She pulled the trigger, but something must have warned the thing, again. It dodged to the left and Chloe jumped up, tossing Zane, and transforming all in one smooth motion. Zane caught her in a sword form, and stabbed up and through the prekishin's stomach, dragging the blade up instead of out and it emerged from the thing's shoulder.

With a strangled scream it dissipated into two red souls.

"Awesome!" Chloe crowed, darting over to them after taking her human form. "One for us both!"

"Apparently it didn't have time to absorb the other one. Convenient." Zane said, smirking. He caught the one that she tossed over to him.

"Down the hatch!" She grinned.

Both of them opened their mouths, slurping the souls down.

* * *

Chloe yawned. She sat at a desk, trying to get the required reading done for Professor Stein's class, but she just didn't care about the anatomy of a pig. She looked over at Zane and saw him reading the book, something blaring on the TV behind him.

"Will you turn that up so I can use it to keep myself awake?" She called out, and he smiled at her, grabbing the remote and turning the music show up. The beat was heavy and she found her head bobbing a bit to it. With a chuckle she turned back to her reading.

* * *

**A/N: I hope that you enjoyed meeting these OC's. Up tomorrow night is Syl-chan, Kiru-kun and Nic-chan. Should be entertaining.**

**Love you all, thanks for the reviews!**

**I don't own Soul Eater or the OCs in this story.**


	29. A Scalpel in Her Hand, Wound in His Side

Sylvia stood awkwardly to the side as Kiru snatched a mission slip off the board, tossing it almost carelessly to Nicole. "We're doing that one, Nicole." He started to walk off, and glanced over his shoulder at Sylvia. She could feel her hair stand on end on her arms, the look he gave her was unfathomable, but something was drawing her to him.

'_I have to face my fear and find out why I keep dreaming about him.'_ She thought with sudden determination. She closed her eyes, mentally steeling herself for the awkward conversation that was sure to come as soon as she walked over to him and his weapon partner, and was so focused on her own thought that she didn't sense Nicole's familiar scent approaching her. Sylvia opened her eyes to find the girl a few steps away from her, a pleasant smile on her face.

"Hey, Sylvia-chan, Kiru-kun wants you to come with us instead of with the other two kids you've been hanging with. I convinced him that he should do something nice after what he did in class yesterday." Nicole smiled, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Sylvia felt herself blush a little bit. "You don't have to make him be nice to me."

Nicole laughed. "Make him be nice? You really don't know Kiru-kun at all! No one makes him do anything that he doesn't want to!" Nicole slipped her arm through Sylvia and dragged her along with her, rambling on about something that Sylvia tuned out.

She could smell his scent even from where they were, over the other scents in the room. It stood out, beguiling and tempting and such a refreshing change from the majority of the other scents in the room. She took a deep breath in and tried to decipher what the scent was, and nearly walked into him when Nicole suddenly stopped walking.

His hands on her shoulders prevented her from falling and she looked up into his red eyes briefly before jerking her head down, praying to Death that he hadn't seen her eyes. He chuckled throatily, stepping back.

"Something you should know about working with me, Sylvia-san, is that I don't lag behind. You'll have to keep up with me and Nicole. Pull your weight and Nicole said she'd give you the soul we get. Don't, and she gets it, alright?" Nicole's hand snaked out, hitting Kiru in the back of the head. Kiru just smirked. "Simple truth." He said.

Sylvia nodded, blushing slightly, her heart pounding in her chest. She could _still_ feel his hands on her shoulders for Death's sake! She took another breath in through her nose, finally placing the scents she could smell, a smile tugging slightly at her lips.

'_He smells like jasmine, rich plums and roses all mixed together perfectly.'_ She sighed silently, following alongside behind the pair. The combination of scents was darkly alluring, and Sylvia felt herself blush again. She followed along behind them absentmindedly; not realizing where they were until she found herself looking down on a building almost identical to the apartment complex Kiru and Nicole lived in.

Kiru sat crouched on the rooftop, watching it closely. "Tell me, why so eager to leave the friends you've known for years behind on their first mission and come with someone who is essentially a total stranger." He glanced over at Nicole. "Sorry, people who are total strangers."

Sylvia looked at him oddly, and thought about her answer before she gave it to him. "James-san and Elsa-san need time to themselves. They're going to be partners, and they need to learn to work with each other, not each other and me. They need… personal space." She finished awkwardly.

Kiru barked out a laugh. "Guess it's not really a secret that if those two were older they'd definitely be dating and living together then!"

"Kiru!" Nicole's hand connected with the back of the boy's head.

"It's the truth, Nicole." He growled out, rubbing the back of his head experimentally. "You do realize that you're going to give me brain damage one of these days, yes?"

"You have to have a brain to have brain damage." She teased, and Sylvia felt herself smile, giggling slightly.

Kiru glared at both of them, and Sylvia stepped behind Nicole reflexively, prompting the older girl to laugh. "Relax, kid. Kiru-kun's bark is worse than his bite. Not by much, but it is." She gave the boy a knowing wink. He just rolled his eyes at the pair.

"So you decided to accept his offer to come with us just so James-kun and Elsa-chan would have some time to themselves?" Nicole asked good naturedly.

Sylvia hesitated. "Well… I can't just remain antisocial with only two friends my whole life." She said, trying to sound casual. Nicole winked at her and nudged her in the side. She leaned in and whispered in Sylvia's ear. _"It wouldn't have anything to do with wanting to spend some time with Kiru-kun now would it?"_

Sylvia felt her face heat up and Nicole laughed. Before she could answer Kiru interrupted. "So, you'd put up with me just for them?"

Sylvia nervously adjusted her fringe before responding. "Your company isn't that terrible, Kiru-san."

He raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at her. Nicole, barely in his field of vision, shrugged._ 'And Nicole tells me I'm the weird one.'_ He thought wryly, turning his attention back to the apartment complex.

"And we both know that Syl-chan loves spending time with me!" Nicole said exuberantly, hugging the younger girl, winking at her.

"Um… yes, I do." Sylvia said hesitantly. Nicole smiled warmly.

"Hush!" Kiru called out and both girls quieted, Nicole darting forward to look over the edge with him.

"What type of prekishin is active during the day?" Nicole asked quietly.

Sylvia sniffed the air and recoiled from the scent that the woman below them was giving off as Kiru answered Nicole. "Apparently she's a nurse, she's managing to hide what she's been doing by stealing medicine from the patients at the hospital she works at to keep the urges in control until the night time."

"So she's another murderer." Nicole said her hands clenching into fists.

"Yeah, a mass murderer at that. Hundreds of people, but she's managed to get away unnoticed so far, and only recently started eating their souls."

"So we have to stop her before she becomes a kishin." Sylvia said quietly, following the woman with her eyes.A sudden thought sprang unbidden to her mind. _'There goes Elsa if not for the fact that her father and mother love her so much.'_ Tears glistened in the young dragon's eyes and she quickly blinked them away.

"Keep up, kid." Nicole said, switching into her weapon form, Kiru catching her easily and darting down the alley that the nurse had just walked into.

Sylvia didn't waste any time, darting after the two, easily keeping up with them. Unseen to her, Kiru smirked, quickening his pace a bit. They darted down three more alleys before finally cornering her not two blocks from the hospital that she worked at.

"Elizabeth Blackwell, in the name of Lord Death, your soul is forfeit." Kiru said calmly, twirling Nicole as he approached the woman.

She turned slowly to face them, a scalpel already in her hand. The resemblance to Elsa was uncanny, and the woman laughed. "My soul is forfeit? Do you know what happened to the last person that told me I was damned?" A hysterical grin spread across her face. "I tore his heart out and showed it to him! Then I ate his soul! Who was damned then?!" She lunged at Kiru, moving faster than he had anticipated, and drew first blood.

Even as she darted past him Kiru brought Nicole smashing into her back, a crackle of electricity conducting through the woman as she slammed into the wall. Sylvia moved back, aiming carefully so that her attack didn't hit Kiru or Nic, and released a gout of fire. The woman screamed, her scrubs catching on fire, and Sylvia focused on that, fanning the flames.

The woman didn't die. As the flames died away she stood in front of them, her skin blackened and charred, a twisted, maniacal grin forever scarred on her features. With a cackle she hurtled herself against Kiru, knocking Nicole from his grasp, and buried the scalpel that was now permanently fused with her hand in the side she had gashed earlier, twisting and digging with it.

Kiru, to his credit, didn't scream. He didn't make a sound as he shoved the burned creature off of his self, one hand pressing against his injured side, turning to try to make sure that Sylvia didn't see the wound. He planted a foot against the woman's chest, kicking her backwards and staggered a bit as Sylvia's blast exploded against the woman, knocking her back against the wall. Blood poured from his side.

Nicole was at his side in an instant, supporting him briefly and nodding before taking her weapon form again. Before the woman could stand Kiru lunged forwards, driving the tip of Nicole's spear into the woman's eye, electricity crackling around the weapon again even as blades sprouted from the side, exploding from the woman's face.

An instant later the woman's body convulsed, a red mottled soul rising from the quickly disappearing corpse. Kiru stood triumphant over the body, breathing slightly heavy and leaning a little on Nicole's weapon form before standing up straight, releasing his grip.

Sylvia darted up, worried. "Kiru-san, I saw the wound, are you alright?!" She said in a rush. He turned to her and smirked.

"I don't know what wound you're so concerned about, Sylvia-chan." He raised an arm. "See, nothing more than a scratch." His shirt was torn, but there was nothing more than a mere scratch where she had seen a gaping wound seconds earlier.

There was something that was wrong, but Sylvia held her tongue. She did note, however, how very pale that Kiru appeared, much more so than usual. Her train of thought was interrupted by Nicole though.

"Here!" She said cheerfully, holding out the soul to Sylvia. Sylvia looked at it dubiously, and hesitantly reached out to take it. The soul levitated just above the palm of her hand and Sylvia looked at it curiously, wondering how to eat the thing when it burst into flames. She smiled, understanding, and watched as the soul burned away, the smoke from it curling around her body slightly.

"That makes the way I eat them seem so plain!" Nicole laughed out.

"That's because you are a very plain person, Nicole." Kiru joked, leaning up against the wall. Sylvia waited for the slap but it never came and she smiled a little.

"Well, we're going to get headed home!" Nicole called out cheerfully. "We'll see you in class tomorrow, and congratulations on your first soul!"

Sylvia smiled, watching them walk off before heading towards her own home. Something nagged in the back of her mind though, and before she realized what she was doing she was trailing Kiru and Nicole back to the apartment, intent on asking about the wound that seemed to have disappeared on Kiru.

Nervousness made her hesitate after they arrived home, and she stood outside for probably five minutes before dropping off the rooftop she had been sitting on and walking to their door. She raised her hand to knock when the smell of blood hit her from inside the apartment. Panic crossed her features and she reached out to try the doorknob.

It was unlocked and Sylvia flung it open, the smell of blood inside the apartment nearly overwhelming to her sensitive nose. She followed the smell to its source and flung the door open, questions about everyone's well-being already on her lips.

Sylvia froze. The door she had so carelessly flung open was obviously Nicole's bedroom. The girl in question lay quietly on her bed, her shirt on the floor beside it, her head tilted to the side and looking at the wall. Kiru knelt over her on the bed, his head pressed against her neck.

"Oh, Death, I'm so sorry…" Sylvia managed to stammer out, stepping back into the hallway, shock and horror on her face at what she had just interrupted her two new friends doing.

And then Kiru raised his face to look at her. There was blood on his chin, his lips, and some had dribbled onto his throat. Blood welled from two deep puncture marks on Nicole's throat.

The nightmare crashed back over her with renewed force, and Sylvia screamed, darting from the room.

"Shit." Kiru exclaimed, quickly licking his thumb and running it over the wound on Nicole's neck before darting after Sylvia. He caught her just before she could exit the apartment and slammed the door shut.

Nicole stepped into the living room, a rag held to her throat to wipe away the dots of blood that were left, wearing a shirt now. Sylvia stared, wide eyed, at the fact that the wound was gone completely.

"Looks like we owe the kid an explanation, Kiru-kun." She said evenly.

"This wouldn't be an issue if she didn't barge into someone else's home." Kiru said somewhat crossly, catching the rag that Nicole tossed him, wiping the blood from his skin.

"Please, just let me go home. I'm sorry I saw anything." Nicole laughed.

"We're not going to kill you or anything, though we'd appreciate it if you kept Kiru-kun's little secret, alright Sylvia-chan?" Nicole said sweetly.

"I'm what's called a Dhampir, Sylvia-chan." Kiru said stepping towards her. "It's like a vampire, but without the drawbacks, and lacking a few other things. I still utilize blood like one though. You saw the wound I took, I used blood to heal it, and Nicole-chan was helping get me back on my feet."

Sylvia sat down on the chair beside the door, eyes wide behind her fringe. Slowly a laugh escaped her, and she burst into giggles.

Kiru looked over at Nicole, who shrugged. "I think she's lost it, Kiru-kun."

"It just makes so much sense! The dreams were of you!" Sylvia dissolved into giggles.

"Dreams?" Nicole asked.

"He was standing in the middle of the city, drinking the blood that the moon dripped down to him! Then he – " Sylvia broke off and blushed.

"Then I?" He prompted.

"You saw me watching and disappeared into the shadow… then you appeared behind me and grabbed my waist, asking what my blood would taste like before I felt something sharp prick my neck." Sylvia's face was bright red at this point.

"That is an interesting question, Sylvia-chan; certainly better than the plain tasting blood from the moon or Nicole's." Kiru said darkly, smirking.

"Hey!" Nicole exclaimed, acting hurt.

Something tugged inside Sylvia and she felt herself smirk. "I don't think you'd like it, Kiru-kun." She said sweetly. "I am willing to bet that dragon blood would be too spicy for you."

* * *

**A/N: I hope that you enjoyed a little bit more of an introduction to Kiru-kun and Nicole-chan with Syl-chan. Thank, Fall for entrusting them to me.**

**Next chapter, back to the normal! Thanks for the reviews, love you all!**

**I don't own Soul eater.**


	30. Old Habits, Disappointment and Changes

Elsa and James returned to the patchwork lab around 4pm, both of them grinning. Marie rushed out to greet them with Azusa and Spirit. Stein stood in the doorway to the lab, his face neutral.

"I'm so proud of both of you!" Marie gushed, crushing Elsa to her chest as Azusa hugged James and Spirit ruffled the boy's hair.

Elsa looked over her mother's shoulder at Stein and paled. Stein was glaring at James. Without a word the scientist turned on his heel and walked back into lab. Marie followed Elsa's gaze and put her hands on the girl's shoulders, making Elsa look her in the eyes. "Your dad is very proud of you; he's just not ready for you to start growing up."

Spirit chuckled and Azusa sent him a dirty look. He just shrugged. "She's right, Zuzu. Stein's taking it pretty hard; even you're taking it easier than he is."

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Marie said cheerfully.

"How did Sylvia-chan's mission go?" Elsa asked suddenly.

Spirit spoke up. "Her team succeeded!" Azusa smiled from beside him.

"She's still with her teammates though," Azusa said. "It seems that she may stay partnered with them, they were quite adept at working together."

Elsa's hands fell limply to her sides. "I hope that you're wrong." Elsa said coldly. "Syl-chan should be working with James and me, not that asshole Kiru-san."

"Elsa!" Marie exclaimed as the girl darted away from her, tears running down her face as she rushed into the lab.

"Spirit, Azusa, I'm sorry." Marie apologized. "You did a great job, James." She smiled at the boy and gave him a hug. _"Thank you for keeping her safe."_ She whispered into his ear before turning to follow Elsa into the lab.

James glanced over his shoulder as they left the lab. Settling in the car he looked up to the front seat where his parents sat. "Does Hakase Stein hate me?"

"Of course he doesn't hate you." Azusa said quickly.

"Then why didn't he come to see Elsa when we got back? Why did he do nothing but glare at me the entire time?" James asked. "If I've done something that's made him mad, shouldn't I know so I can fix it? I mean, he is my girlfriend's dad."

Azusa stared in shock at James and Spirit burst out laughing. "Your girlfriend?" Azusa stammered out.

James met his mother's gaze evenly. "Elsa doesn't want to be my imouto anymore. She asked me to be her boyfriend and I agreed."

Spirit spoke before Azusa could. "Good for you, James."

"Sprit!"

"What? I'd had three girlfriends by the time I was his age!" He defended.

"Don't remind me. Young you was a pain." Azusa said, rubbing her hand across her face. "You were probably dating them all at the same time too."

"Just two of them." Spirit turned and looked at James while they sat at a stop light. "Never date more than one woman at a time. Especially if you're going to be dating Elsa."

James looked at him oddly and just nodded.

* * *

Elsa sat in her room, anger flooding through every part of her body, replaced only slowly by guilt. _'Sylvia-chan deserves to be in whatever group she wants to be. She was forced to be part of James' family. She was pretty much forced to be our friend. Why shouldn't she get to choose her own partner like everyone else?'_ Realization sparked in Elsa's eyes. _'If she wants to be a partner with an asshole, that's her choice. I can't make it any different no matter how much I want to.'_

A familiar tingle spread through Elsa as her mother called her for dinner. Elsa went down the stairs, a smile plastered on her face. It was so convincing that Marie bought it, making small talk about the mission the entire meal, asking how much Elsa had enjoyed it. Elsa's answers almost sounded rehearsed, but she fooled her mother.

Stein didn't fall for it, but Elsa didn't say a single word to him the entire meal. She left immediately after and told them she was tired and ready for bed. Marie nodded, smiling as she cleared the table and started the dishes. Stein sat at the table, a cup of coffee in front of him with his eyes closed. Marie was quiet, obviously thinking he was sleeping.

In actuality Stein was following his daughter's wavelength as it slipped out of the lab and into the night.

Standing Stein wrapped his arms loosely around Marie. "Marie, I love you." He whispered in her ear. "I'll come home soon, I promise."

She looked at him quizzically but nodded. "Alright, Franken. I love you too." He kissed her lightly and left, following their daughter.

* * *

Elsa stopped in the center of the woods, the tingling sensation that ran through her far too much for her to withstand, and her hands trembled as she climbed the small tree. She saw the nest from the ground and upon reaching it was pleased to find the adult bird sitting on her eggs. She caught the female before she could wake and fly off, and climbed back down to carry the unfortunate bird to a clearing she had seen that had plenty of light from the grinning moon. On the way she made sure to sever the muscles that allowed the bird to fly.

Elsa's face twisted into a grin. _"Your babies are going to die too."_ She promised. _"I'm going to take them out of their eggs one by one after I'm done seeing what makes you tick. Don't worry; I'll bury them with you."_ Quiet giggles echoed through the clearing while the bird chirped in fear as she knelt in the middle of the clearing.

A hand caught Elsa's as she lowered the scalpel she had pilfered from her father's lab towards the bird and jerked it to the side. Elsa hissed in anger, the bird forgotten in her rage about being interrupted. She whirled on the person who had the audacity to interrupt her and was staring up into her father's face. The bird tried to take to the air and collapsed on the ground, chirping in fear and pain.

"Enough, Elsa. We need to go home." Stein said, never removing his hand from her wrist.

"I'm busy. Go away. You don't want to talk to me anyway. Just leave me alone!" She ended with a scream, twisting her wrist, flipping the scalpel backwards in her hand and driving it down into the back of her father's hand.

Agony shot through Stein's hand and arm, causing him to let go of Elsa. The scalpel flashed out again, and Stein could see the fear in Elsa's eyes even as she laughed, the scalpel angled at his throat. Stein pulled back, the scalpel glancing dangerously close to his adam's apple and slammed his hand into Elsa's stomach, not bothering to pull the punch with his wavelength.

She dissipated most of it. The remainder that she couldn't hurled her against a tree, the scalpel falling silently to the ground amongst the leaves. Stein moved over to her, keeping his distance as she stood unsteadily, leaning against the tree.

"D-dad?" Elsa stammered out, one hand rubbing her head. "Daddy?" She asked looking up as he walked up to her. He could see the confusion in her face, and he knelt in front of her. Elsa's vision swam.

"Elsa, I am proud of you." He said solemnly. The girl looked at him, confused. "Let's go home, ok?" He said. She took a few steps and felt her knees buckle. Stein caught her as she pitched forward, unconscious.

* * *

Stein walked into the lab thirty minutes later, carrying Elsa's unconscious form.

"Franken!" Marie screamed.

There was blood on Elsa's shirt, and blood was pouring from a ragged gash in Stein's hand. He carried a scalpel in his other hand, covered with blood.

"Marie, its fine. She's fine now. I had to stop her." Stein said wearily, walking past his wife and into the lab. He laid Elsa on one of the operating tables, and retrieved a needle and thread to stitch the back of his hand with.

"Franken… what happened?" Marie asked with obvious concern on her face.

"She was faking the entirety of dinner. Her wavelength was frantic the entire time. I was worried about what she was going to do, so when she slipped out after dinner I followed her."

Stein winced as Marie's hand hit the back of his head. "You could have told me and I would've come with you!"

"Marie… you wouldn't have been a help." He slid the needle into the back of his right hand, being as careful as possible to avoid the large veins that ran across the back of it. The pain was incredible, but he got it sewed up quickly.

"And how would I have not been able to help?" She demanded to know, her hands on her hips.

"Could you hit Elsa? Or allow yourself to be in your weapon form to engage her?" He asked, turning to look at her.

He was serious. Marie's face fell. _"No…"_

"That's not a bad thing, Marie." He said consolingly, standing to wrap his arms around her. "I had to stop her, and I can hit her with my wavelength without harming her. She can dissipate most of it."

Any further conversation was halted as a knock echoed through the lab, followed closely by a second one.

Stein looked over at Marie. "Will you take her to her room?" Marie nodded and picked Elsa up, carrying her upstairs as Stein moved to the door to open it.

Melody and Avalon stood framed in the door, blood pouring from underneath gauze on Melody's arm. "Hakase Stein, Melody got hit on our mission." Avalon said, Melody leaning on him, her eyes closed.

"Follow me. Carry her, Avalon." Stein said.

With a swift move Avalon had Melody in his arms, her injured arm lying on top of her chest and was following the Professor deeper into the lab. A dozen stitches later Melody had stopped bleeding and Stein was shooing them on their way.

"Carry her home as well, Avalon. She shouldn't wake until a few hours have passed." Stein helped Avalon situate Melody on his back and the pair left, Avalon carrying Melody piggyback, her head lying against his shoulder.

"Thank you, Hakase Stein." Avalon said quietly as he left.

* * *

Stein sat back down in his chair and chose not to type. His right hand was throbbing, the fingers not wanting to close all the way. The scar would be painful. Resigning himself to having to redo the stitches Stein picked up his tools and carefully removed them, wincing through the pain. He carefully wrapped his hand, giving the bleeding time to stop before he redid the stitches, spacing them slightly differently, and flexed his hand when he was done, pleased with the setting this time.

The phone rang suddenly and Stein drug himself to his feet, answering it with his left hand. "Stein?"

"Azusa?" Stein said, surprise obvious in his voice.

"Stein, we can't find Sylvia. She never came back. Spirit just spent the last three hours scanning through all the mirrors that Lord Death would let him. We can't find her." Azusa said in a rush.

"Can't you find her with Senrigan?"

"She's a weapon, not a meister."

"Have you checked her other teammates home?"

"…" Silence greeted him, and Stein laughed.

"She probably just stayed there for the night, Azusa!"

*click*

Stein looked at the phone and laughed.

* * *

"Dragon." Kiru said, the disbelief in his voice.

Nicole stared at her, then laughed. "It's not a contest, kid. Don't try to impress us!"

"I'm not." Sylvia said evenly. "I can prove it."

"Just because you're arm can turn into something shaped like a dragon doesn't make you-" Kiru stared to say offhandedly.

Sylvia switched forms. Nicole staggered back against the wall, Kiru stared open eyed at her, and then chuckled.

Nicole got words out first. "You're still a midget even like that." Her voice flowed over into laughter. "But you're totally kawaii like that!" The girl darted to Sylvia, scooping her up and petting her.

Sylvia stiffened, then relaxed. _'It's not so bad.'_ She thought with a smirk.

Kiru just stared, and Sylvia took her human incarnation again. The dhampir found his voice again quickly. "You know, you could just be a witch and lying to us. Maybe Nicole and I could get our witch soul out of the way early." He took a menacing step towards her.

Sylvia stood her ground, smirking. "You're both obviously weak; would you really attack a witch now? And if I was a witch and not a dragon, wouldn't I have just taken you out while you fought that prekishin earlier? My step-mother was the witch, not me."

*slap*

"That's enough, Kiru-kun!" The boy rubbed his head, a smirk on his face and Nicole smiled at Sylvia.

"Of course you're a dragon. Just like Kiru-kun's a dhampir. I'm the odd one! Just a normal weapon." Nicole's voice trailed off into a laugh and she went to move past Kiru, stumbling a bit.

"Drink some orange juice, Nicole-chan." He said quietly.

"I know, I know." She muttered under her breath. "I don't need you to tell me."

Kiru smirked at his weapon as she walked into their kitchen. "Well, little dragon. Quite the secret you have. Were you planning on telling us since you were going to be working with us?"

"What makes you think I'll keep working with you two instead of James-san and Elsa-san?" Sylvia asked, smoothing her fringe down.

"You're here with us, not there with them." He said simply, smirking.

A crash from the kitchen drew his attention and he darted in. Faintly Sylvia could make out Kiru's voice talking to Nicole. He came back in, carrying Nicole. _"I've told you before; stop me if I'm taking too much."_

"I didn't think it was that much." She said weakly.

Kiru brushed past Sylvia, lying Nicole down in her bed. He came out a second later.

"She said to tell you that you could stay here if you want. 'Partners are supposed to live together.' She says. You'll have to either sleep with her or on the couch though." Kiru said, gesturing towards the couch and Nicole's bedroom.

Sylvia hesitated and then nodded. "Thank you, I'll sleep on the couch if you don't mind."

Kiru smirked, disappearing back down the hall before returning with a blanket and a pillow. "We'll see you in the morning then, little dragon. The bathroom's the first door on the left. The right is Nicole's room, so no biggie if you get messed up with it." He disappeared, flipping the light off as he went.

Sylvia adjusted the pillow in the dark and lay down, pulling the blanket up to her shoulders. She was exhausted from the fight, and drifted off to sleep quickly. _'It smells like him.'_ She realized right before she fell asleep.

* * *

A hammering sound woke her, and Sylvia sat up, completely disoriented. Kiru staggered out of his room, clad in just a pair of sleep pants.

Kiru stomped past her, flipping on the living room light just as the door flew open, the locking mechanism shattered. "What the hell?!" Kiru shouted. "Nicole!" The girl darted out of her room and into the living room, immediately transforming and Kiru caught her easily.

Spirit Albarn stepped into the living room. Azusa right behind him.

Sylvia felt her face turn beat red.

"Sylvia, are you alright? You worried mama and me so much!" Spirit gushed, darting to her and squeezing her in a huge hug.

"Spirit-sama! That's enough!" She hissed out, pulling away from him.

"Let's go home!" He said cheerfully, Azusa hovering over his shoulder, glaring at her.

"I'm sleeping over…" Sylvia said, sitting upright on the couch. Both of the death scythes glared and she hunkered back against the couch.

Spirit stood and looked over at the boy and realized that he was only half dressed. In two swift steps he had Kiru pushed up against the wall, a scythe blade extended over his shoulder and against the boy's chest. "If I find out that I let her stay here and you or anyone touched or hurt her in any way I will kick your damn ass!"

Kiru raised his hands to his shoulders. "You've got nothing to worry about. She just wants to spend some time with Nicole-chan."

Nicole sprung from her weapon form, and wrapped an arm around Sylvia's shoulders. "Yep, just some girl time! I was just going to get my stuff so we could watch a movie when you started breaking down our door."

Spirit stood up straight, retracting the blade and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, sorry about that. I'll get it fixed in the morning."

Azusa bent beside Sylvia and whispered something in her ear while Spirit was going on his tirade. When she stood Sylvia nervously nodded her head and Azusa smiled. Azusa grabbed her husband's shoulder and pulled him away from Kiru.

"Forgive us." She said. "We were simply worried about Sylvia. We'll see you all in school tomorrow. Be on time." Sylvia just nodded again and Kiru shrugged.

"Don't worry, we will be!" Nicole said, a smile painted across her face.

* * *

**A/N: Tomorrow's chapter? Class after missions! I hope you enjoyed this.**

**Thanks for letting me borrow OCs, people. I don't own Soul Eater or anything except James and Elsa.**

**Thanks for the reviews! Love you all!**


	31. Madness Come in All Shapes

Marie woke up in the middle of the night and realized that she was sleeping alone, and Stein's side of the bed was cold, the pillow undisturbed. Padding out of their bedroom she yawned, and walked towards the lab, assuming that he was just working on something new.

The door was locked.

"Franken?" Marie called out, peering through the window. She could see him sitting at his computer, his hands in front of him as if he was typing. "Franken, open the door for me."

Stein's head turned to look over his shoulder, his neck twisting awkwardly, a twisted grin slashed across his face. There was blood on his face, his glasses missing. Marie slammed her fist against the door, images of the last time he had locked her out of the lab rushing through her mind.

"FRANKEN!" Marie screamed, slamming her hand against the door. "FRANKEN, LET ME IN!"

"Mother?" Marie turned quickly; Elsa stood a few paces behind her. Tears poured down Marie's face.

"Elsa, go back to bed. Whatever you hear, don't come out of your room. Go."

Elsa stood silent, staring at her mother. "He's screaming for you." She said quietly. "You can't get into his lab can you?" Elsa's voice was older, and Marie shivered. Stein hadn't said a single word; even the hysterical giggles were silent.

"Sweetheart, please… go upstairs." Stein's giggles started up again, and were growing in intensity.

"You want me to open the door to let you in first." Elsa said, almost condescendingly. "Or he may die." Marie stared at their daughter as she continued. "You don't understand, he's not screaming for you to come to him, he's screaming for you to stay away." She smiled sweetly, her head tilted to the side. "But you never do, and he relies on that."

"Where is my daughter?" Marie asked as she backed up against the door, one hand transforming.

"Sleeping. Do you want the door open?" A twisted smirk pulled the girl's face into a contortion of normalcy.

'_Damn it.'_ Marie thought bitterly. "Open the door and go to bed."

Elsa smiled sweetly again. "Of course mother." She walked calmly to the lab door and placed her hand against the metal just below the lock. With a quick twisting motion she shot her wavelength through the door, and it popped open.

Elsa skipped past her mother, and the eyes that met Marie's one were vacant. "You're welcome."

Marie didn't hesitate, and darted inside the door, locking it behind herself. "Franken?" She called out quietly, the man's giggles quieted as she approached. "Franken, love, are you there?"

There was no answer, just silence as the man sitting in the chair remained motionless. Tears gathered in the corner of Marie's eye. She didn't need the eye patch off to feel the madness radiating off of him, but she still reached out to touch his shoulder.

It happened fast. Too fast. Stein had her pinned against the wall, her right arm trapped between them, a scalpel held to her throat with his left hand.

"I'm going to dissect you." He breathed in her ear.

"Franken, I love you." She whispered back, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"I'm going to love dissecting you." A sadistic grin spread across the man's face, and he drug the scalpel delicately against her throat. Small beads of blood welled up.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered and before the man could react brought her knee up between his legs.

Even an insane man can feel it when he gets hit in the nuts. The scalpel clattered to the floor, the scientist stepping back, his breath coming in short gasps. It was then that Marie noticed his right hand, hanging limp and useless at his side. Blood dripped from the wound, the stitches removed, the back of his hand laid open to the air.

She darted to him before he could recover, and was too slow. She felt his left hand catch her right side and his wavelength surge through her a split second after she reached hers out to him and she was thrown against the wall.

"MOTHER!" Elsa's voice echoed through the lab and Stein turned to look at this new comer, his face contorting into a hysterical grin, laughter echoing through the lab. Elsa darted at him even as Marie staggered to her feet.

"Elsa, no!" The girl's wavelength crackled along her hands as she dove into her father's stomach, and he dissipated every bit of the attack.

There was fear in Elsa's eyes as she looked up into Stein's face. "Bothersome child. A waste of DNA. I'll take you apart now!" His wavelength hit her hard, flinging her against the wall and Elsa crumpled at the base of it.

Stein stretched his head up and to the left, cracking the bones in his neck. "Now, which to start with? The mother or the daughter?" His voice curved up into laughter. "The mother of course, and try to pick the father out of the differences!"

"It's you!" Marie screamed as she slammed into Stein's stomach, her arms wrapping around him and she forced her wavelength into him.

* * *

Elsa hurt. She could still hear her parents screaming, but it was like neither of them could hear each other. Stein was screaming for her and Marie to flee, to leave. Marie was screaming for him to come back to her.

Elsa wondered if she should be screaming something too. As she watched her mother tackled her father and the two went down in a heap, Marie glowing. She watched fascinated, her pain forgotten, as Marie's wavelength slammed into Stein.

Elsa could see their souls push against each other and almost not connect. _'Daddy's soul won't accept mother's easily…'_ She realized. _'It doesn't want to change right now.' _It was obvious to the child that her mother was having difficulty making Stein's soul accept her wavelength.

But it did accept it, and a moment later her father lay on the floor, Marie holding his head in her lap, both of them breathing hard. Marie was sobbing, tears sliding down her face and dropping into his hair.

"Marie." Stein's left hand reached up to touch her cheek. "Thank you, Marie."

"Franken, what caused that?" Marie whispered.

It was slight, and most other people wouldn't have noticed, but Elsa did. When Marie asked, her father's eyes darted to look at her for the briefest of instances. Elsa's heart froze and she staggered to her feet, leaving her parents behind her as tears flew down her face.

Marie watched her go, but the wound on Stein's hand couldn't wait. "Franken, we have to take care of your hand…" She started.

"Marie, go to Elsa. I can fix my hand." He squeezed hers reassuringly with his left. "Please, explain to her that this is why we watch her so closely." Marie bent down and kissed his forehead, helping him stand up before going after their daughter.

* * *

Elsa lay face down in her bed, everything she had just seen running through her head. _'I don't even know how I got downstairs. I was just there, at the foot of the steps when I heard daddy screaming and giggling. He doesn't giggle! And mother was screaming for him. And then I went in and he hit her. He hit her. He hit mother… She hit him back… what was that?'_

"Elsa?" Marie's voice came to her. "Elsa, sweetheart, I need to talk to you."

Elsa ignored her, turning her head away from the door and stifling a sob. Marie came into the room anyway, turning the light on and sat beside her on the bed. Marie rubbed the girl's back gently, humming a song she had learned long ago from Azusa. *Sun's Sweet Kiss*

"It wasn't your fault." Marie stopped humming and said suddenly. "No matter what you think, you didn't cause that."

"He looked right at me when you asked what did!" Elsa sobbed, the flood gates open.

"There's a reason why we watch you so closely. A reason why we were so wary about letting you cut anything open. It's because you are his daughter, Elsa. We had hoped that you had inherited my resistance to Madness, at least in some fashion. It became obvious when you cut your chest open that you hadn't. We wanted to protect you from it, that's why he has accompanied every dissection you've performed. You see what happens when the urge isn't allowed out." Marie took a deep breath.

"Your father is very brave. He fights against it every day. He sleeps beside me each night, and I know that there's a part of him that he fights every time I fall asleep that wants to cut me apart, to hack until there's nothing left." Elsa's eyes opened wide and she looked at her mother in terror.

"Your father is why we watch you. He's stronger than anyone I know, and he still falls. You didn't cause that. I promise you. Elsa, do you understand? You. Did. Not. Cause. That." Marie stared at her daughter, her face set.

"_I… I understand."_ Elsa whispered into the pillow. Marie kissed her head and left the room, leaving Elsa with her thoughts as the light shut off.

* * *

Stein pulled the thread through the wound that Elsa had given him for the third time, this time having to be much more careful, the back of his hand was a bloody ruin, and he would be lucky if he didn't have any problems from it. Fortunately, he could still move all of his fingers.

He felt Marie before he saw her. She slid her arms around his neck, tears falling onto his shoulder as she pressed her cheek against his, knocking his glasses askew. He turned his head, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Marie, you shouldn't have come for me." He said quietly, finishing the stitches.

Elsa's words echoed in her head. "Franken, I always will." She promised. Stein flexed his fingers, and then turned his head to catch her lips.

"I know, Marie. Thank you."

* * *

_Elsa sat in the chair, waiting. James would come soon. He had promised on the way back from the ice cream shop. So she waited, her lab coat lying beside her on another chair, a dozen creatures flashing on and off the operating table that she was staring at._

_After what seemed like an eternity she heard a quiet cough from behind her. She turned to see James smiling down at her, his blue eyes sparkling. "We did great today, Elsa!" He said cheerfully._

"_My daddy almost killed my mother and me…" She said quietly, looking down._

"_What?!" James was at her side, his arms wrapping around her. She sobbed into his scrub shirt. "Elsa, what happened, tell me. Do I need to get my mom and dad to come and get you and Marie-sensei?"_

"_No…" She sniffled, and told him the story._

"_You're fine now? Promise me, Elsa." Concern shone in his eyes and he waited patiently for it._

"_I promise, James… but I hurt daddy bad. His hand… it's messed up."_

"_Can you fix it like you did mine?" James flourished his right arm at her, the skin perfect._

_Elsa met his eyes, grinning. "You have to get him, you know that?" _

_James smirked and closed his eyes._

Stein's eyes flew open from where he was sleeping beside Marie, but he didn't see their room.

"_Sorry to bother you, Hakase Stein." James' voice echoed up to him, and Stein looked down at him and Elsa._

"_James… this is uncalled for. You cannot force resonance with people. It's…"_

"_Completely unique to me and no precedents have been set for it. But after this I will respect your wishes, Hakase Stein. Elsa… she has something she wants to do." James said, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the operating table._

_The girl stepped forward, slipping her lab coat on. "I'm going to fix your hand, daddy. Just lay down, please. It won't hurt."_

_Stein stood at the top tier of seating, looking down at them, disbelief on his face. "Elsa, you cannot fix my hand."_

"_I fixed James' arm. I know everything there is to know about the human hand. I will fix it." Elsa's voice was older._

"_I wouldn't argue with her, Hakase Stein." James said quietly, a smirk on his face. "When she gets stubborn like this there's no stopping her."_

_Stein cautiously advanced. He could feel the Madness flitting between the two, but it was muted. Steadying himself, Stein moved past the two of them, sliding onto the table and lying back, watching Elsa's every move. Elsa removed a needle from the operating table and slid it into his hand just below the thumb and he could feel the cold numbness of the anesthetic rush through his hand._

"_No peeking." Elsa whispered, covering his eyes with her left hand._

Stein jerked to himself, sitting upright in bed, Marie instantly awake, her hand on his shoulder.

"Franken?"

Stein didn't answer, just lifted his right hand up and held it in front of his face. Even by just the light of the clock in their room he could see the wound was gone, the stitches falling from his skin, pulled down by gravity.

* * *

Something tapped the side of Sylvia's face. She ignored it, rolling over towards what should have been the wall. Her nose touched something soft and she sighed, snuggling into it. Something tapped her cheek again, and she reached up, swatting at it.

Someone chuckled, and then something tapped her forehead as she rolled onto her back, intent on dragging the pillow over her face. It wasn't her pillow, the scent was all wrong. Sylvia's eyes flew open and she was staring up into smirking red ones.

"Kiru-san!" She virtually shrieked, tugging the pillow over her face. He just chuckled.

"Don't bother, I've already saw your grey-ish purple eyes, Syl-chan." He said as she felt something tug her… his pillow out of her grasp, and she was left staring back into his face. A blush spread across her face as she realized that he was bent over her, his bare chest inches away from hers, his knee pushing against her hip.

She recovered quickly, though, and brushed her fringe quickly into place. Kiru reached out, his cool fingertips brushing against her forehead as he brushed the fringe out of the way.

"Don't worry, Nicole-chan isn't awake yet, so she didn't see. You look better like this, though." Kiru bent over her, and licked his lips slightly. _"I wonder if it is spicy…"_ He whispered close to her ear.

Sylvia blushed, squirming down against the couch, an unfamiliar tingle running through her body. Kiru leaned in closer to her, his lips almost close enough to touch her throat as they heard the door to Nicole's room open.

"Ki-kiru-san… could you please… " Sylvia stuttered.

His lips brushed against her throat as he murmured. "Some other time, little dragon." Before standing. "We have school soon, Sylvia-chan; do you need to go home to get a change of clothing?"

Sylvia just nodded mutely.

Nicole came bleary eyed around the corner, looking a little pale, and Sylvia frantically pushed her fringe back into place, only to notice a second later that Kiru was gone, the pillow he had been holding falling to the floor with a dull thud.

"Oh, good morning Syl-chan!" Nicole said cheerfully, her voice sounding tired even through it. A yawn behind her caused her to turn around, and Sylvia's eyes widened when Kiru emerged from behind her out of the hallway.

Nicole took a few more steps towards the kitchen before stopping and leaning against the wall, her head swimming.

"Nicole?" Kiru's voice came from directly behind the girl.

"I'm… fine, Kiru." She said, false cheerfulness in her voice. "I'm just going to get some OJ and a bowl of cereal." She took a few more steps before her knees buckled and Kiru darted forward to catch her.

"_You idiot. I've warned you before!" _He hissed.

"_You still didn't get all you needed…" _She whispered, lying in his arms, her eyes closed as her head swam again.

"Is she alright?" Sylvia said approaching the pair, her fringe of hair in place, blocking her eyes.

Kiru didn't lie. "No. She was an idiot and has lost too much blood." He scooped the girl up and turned to carry her back into her room. "There are cups in the top right cabinet, orange juice in the fridge."

It took Sylvia a second to realize that he was telling her so she'd bring a glass of it for Nicole. She stepped into the kitchen and stared at the fridge.

Kiru stared back at her from beside Nicole, his pale skin shining with water, in nothing but a pair of swim shorts; Nicole beside him in a two piece bikini, smiling. Sylvia blushed as she looked at his musculature, and looked away. There were several more photos of the two of them in different places, including a snowy one. Sylvia shook herself and got the glass of orange juice, walking nervously into Nicole's room.

Kiru had propped the girl up, and was adjusting the pillows on her bed. Sylvia felt like she was seeing a side of Kiru that she wasn't supposed to, but Nicole just smiled and motioned her to come into the room.

"I don't think I'm going to make it to school today. Kiru just called to tell them I wasn't feeling well. They said alright, and that you two could bring my assignment home. Do you mind?" Nicole asked with a smile on her face.

"Of course not, Nicole-san." Sylvia answered.

"Thank you, Syl-chan!" She said as Kiru handed her the glass that he had taken without Sylvia even realizing it.

"We're going to let you get some rest, Nic-chan." Kiru said, standing up. "Your book is on the table, so is your remote. We'll check back up on you at lunch."

"Alright!" The two stepped out of the room, and Kiru walked into his room.

"I'll be out in a second." He came out a few minutes later with a change of clothes and handed them to Sylvia. "Go on, go get changed."

Sylvia looked at the clothing he offered her. "Kiru-san…" She hesitated.

"Just go on. You slept with my pillow and blanket, this shouldn't be any worse." Sylvia blushed as she darted into his room, pulling it closed behind her.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, yeah, so I didn't expect my 500 word filler to actually become something that ate up 2200 words this chapter… so tomorrow will the first day of class with ppl absent due to the missions… sorry.**

**I don't own Soul Eater, or Syl/Nic/Kiru. Thanks fall!**

**Thanks for the PMs, OCs, and reviews everyone. Love you all! ****Also, over 2k views! Woot! And thanks to you all, here's the real question: Will I hit 100000 words first or 100 reviews? :) Thanks again for all the support!**  



	32. Skipping, Reaper Chops, and Dissection

Marie opened the door to Elsa's room, flicking on the light as she did so. Elsa lay curled up on her side, facing the wall, obviously still asleep. Marie moved over to the girl, shaking her shoulder gently. Elsa rolled over, her face flushed, her browed furrowed.

"Mother… I don't feel good." She said weakly.

Marie pressed her wrist against the girl's forehead. "You're not running a fever, I'm going to go and get your father." Elsa just nodded, burrowing down against her pillow.

Marie returned with Stein a second later. Stein took one look at his daughter and sighed. "This is your own fault, Elsa."

"Franken!"

"Did I not explain to you what she did, somehow?" He asked, holding his right hand up in front of Marie's face. Marie sighed. "I thought so."

Stein moved to Elsa's bed, sitting beside her. "What you did was stupid, dangerous and completely unacceptable." Elsa looked at him in shock. "You could have killed yourself with what you did, Elsa. Without James you probably would have. You cannot expend your own life like that." A tear rolled down Elsa's face.

"_I was just fixing my mistake…"_ She whispered miserably.

"And it's a miracle that you can, Elsa. If your mother and myself wouldn't hate me for the rest of my natural life I would dissect you to see what makes it so that you can do it. But she would, I would, and I won't. But you have to promise me that you will NEVER do that again." Stein's tone was cold and far from fatherly.

"I… I promise." Elsa stammered out.

"Get dressed. You're going to school, you'll be fine there. Your soul is what's weak, not your body." Stein stood and turned, pushing past Marie.

The two women stared at him in shock.

"Franken!"

"We have to leave soon, Marie." He shut the door behind him.

Marie looked at Elsa. "Just get dressed, sweetheart." She said as she left the room.

"Franken Stein, that was your daughter in there." Marie said angrily as she rounded the corner into his lab.

"Don't you think I know that better than anyone, Marie?" He looked up at her. "She has the potential to become the most powerful meister ever, but that is only if we can keep her from losing herself along the way. She nearly KILLED herself last night. James is the only reason why she managed to make it through what she did to heal my hand, and I don't even know how she did that." He reached up to turn the screw in his head. "Marie, I wasn't kidding. There's a part of me that simply doesn't care that she's my daughter; I want, no I need, to know what allows her to do that and the only way to find out is to cut her open. To examine every bit of her." A shudder ran through Stein. "Don't leave me alone with her for a while, Marie."

Marie just nodded, white faced. She had wanted to believe that this side of her husband was gone.

* * *

James stumbled through the motions of getting dressed, having to stop multiple times to rest, his head pounding, his heart racing.

*knock, knock*

James hurriedly pulled on his over shirt. "Enter!" He called out, his voice betraying the weakness he felt.

"James, Stein just called. He said Elsa's sick and that we needed to see how you were feeling." Spirit said, walking through the door.

James sat down on the edge of his bed. "I don't feel well, dad." He said quietly. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with whatever happened to Elsa though. We're probably just tired from the mission."

"You're lying to your father, James." Azusa's voice carried over Spirit's shoulder.

"We know what happened, James. You and Elsa fixed her dad's hand." Spirit knelt in front of his son. "I know you think that you were doing something good. Apparently it nearly killed Elsa; Stein says that it uses her soul's power to do it, much like when she attacks with her wavelength. Unfortunately, this is much much more expended at one time. You two cannot do anything like that again. Do you understand?"

James nodded soberly as Azusa continued. "Also, I know that you seem to have inherited some sort of hybrid form of my Senrigan. You simply cannot grab someone and force them into resonance with you, James! It's dangerous. I know that you're used to resonating with Elsa, but her father is an entirely different person. Promise us that you will not do that again."

"I promise." He said quietly, and then added, "Did it work?"

Azusa and Spirit looked at each other. Finally, hesitantly, Azusa nodded and Spirit answered. "It did. Stein says thank you, but to never again force resonance with him or he'll dissect you."

James paled.

* * *

Sylvia emerged from Kiru's room, the shorts of his that she wore nearly at her calves, his shirt long and drooping in the front so that she constantly tugged it back to avoid exposing her chest. He smirked as she came in.

"Alright, little dragon, let's go." He stepped towards the front door, and Sylvia noticed that he was now dressed.

A small blush colored her cheeks. _'I almost prefer him without the shirt!'_ She realized suddenly. _'Looks like I have conquered my fear, Elsa-san. Now you'll just have to conquer your hatred of him.'_ An image of Elsa with a scalpel in her hand and Kiru running in fear made the young dragon giggle slightly.

"Something funny?" Kiru asked, looking back at her.

"No, Kiru-san." She said, moving to catch up with him.

Kiru locked the door behind them, flipping the keys to his other hand as he led the way down to the small parking lot behind the apartment buildings. He motioned towards a motorcycle. "You can ride behind me. I don't have a sidecar, so hang on tight."

Sylvia blushed and Kiru smirked. He slid onto the seat, and patted the area behind him. Sylvia sat down, nervous.

"You have to hold on or you'll fall off." Sylvia couldn't see the teen's smirk, but she knew that it was there. Cautiously she slid her hands around his sides, interlacing her fingers against his stomach. His flat, hard stomach. Sylvia's face burned. She turned her head to the side and watched the landscape go past as Kiru drove, something clicking.

"Kiru-san? You don't know where I live." She said into his ear.

"You know, you're right. That'd matter if we were going to your home though. Which we're not." He said, a chuckle lacing through the words.

"What do you mean, Kiru-san? I have to go to get clothing for school today!" Sylvia asked suddenly.

"If Nicole's not going, I'm not going; which means you aren't either." Sylvia's eyes widened.

"It's just our third day!" The bike took a corner at high speed and Sylvia tightened her grip on Kiru to avoid being slung off.

"You have a problem with that, little dragon?" He asked coolly.

'_Face your fear.'_ Sylvia took a deep breath. "No."

"Good! We're almost at our destination now anyway." Kiru said, the bike taking another turn before Sylvia recognized where they were.

One of Death City's movie theaters: Deatheater. (**A/N: That's Death + theater, not death eater)**

"Kiru-san, what are we doing here? The shows don't even start until after school." Sylvia asked, dismounting the motorcycle.

Kiru shrugged. "Killing time. Don't worry, little dragon. You'll see in a minute."

Sylvia's brow furrowed, but she waited, sniffing the air.

* * *

"Alright, class! Time for roll!" Stein's voice rose above the class, and he began calling off names. When he reached the end of roll he raised his eyebrow and looked to Marie. She just nodded, leaving the room.

Marie walked swiftly towards the Death Room, following the signs that she was certain had been put up just because of her. A swift tap on the door and she opened it, striding down the rows of guillotines before stopping in front of Lord Death and Spirit.

"Ah, Marie-chan! Hello, hello, hello! What brings you here today, nya?" Lord Death asked good naturedly.

"Actually, I'm here to inform Spirit of something." She said, bowing to him. "It's good to see you though!" She smiled at the cartoonish figure.

"What has Spirit done now, Marie-chan?" He asked consolingly.

"Oh, nothing." Marie replied.

"Then what is it, Marie?" Spirit asked.

"Sylvia's not in class. Neither is Kiru. We knew that Nicole wasn't going to be coming, but we were still under the impression that Kiru and Sylvia would both be here. Neither showed." Marie said, taking a careful step to the right.

Spirit went at a dead run towards the doors, right through where Marie had been standing. "Reaper Chop!" Spirit went down hard, blood squirting from the wound. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Lord Death said.

Blades sprouted from Spirit's body as he growled. "Reasonable my ass, it's that Kiru! He's corrupting my little Sylvia!"

"REAPER CHOP!" Spirit went down again, Marie covering her mouth with her hands to try to hold in the laughter. "You do remember that she's not actually your daughter, Spirit-kun?"

"We adopted her, so she is." He howled from the blood puddle on the floor.

"Just don't try to make her into Maka. We all know how well that will work." Lord Death said, and Spirit collapsed onto the floor where he had just managed to make it to his feet.

"My poor Maka, off in Japan with that shark toothed Evans. My poor grandchild that I never get to see!" Spirit started rocking, tears running down his face.

Before Spirit could go off on a tangent Marie interrupted, "Sylvia's the one missing, Spirit."

Spirit bound to his feet, blades springing out again. "I'm going to kick that Kiru's ass if he's made my Sylvia skip."

Marie couldn't suppress the laughter as Lord Death reaper chopped the unfortunate Death Scythe again. "You can go look for Sylvia-chan, Spirit-kun but you are not to use your blades for any reason against that boy, do you understand?"

Spirit looked like a scolded child as he meekly replied "Yes, Lord Death."

"Are you going to tell Azusa?" Marie asked as they left the Death Room.

"Azusa would kill the poor girl." He said. "At least this way we can see if they're really skipping or if they're at home taking care of Nicole."

"And then?"

"Well, if she's skipping, I'll tell Azusa." He looked sideways at Marie. "I don't like being the bad guy." Marie laughed.

"Well, good luck, Spirit." She said, stopping at the door to Class Crescent Moon.

"Wait, what?" He looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

"Nope. I have a class to teach, Spirit, and my daughter is sitting in it."

He kept staring at her, pouting. "No, Spirit."

"Marie! I can't go on my own." Spirit took a step back as a grin flashed across Marie's face.

"Oh, I won't make you go alone." She opened the door to the room. "Hakase Stein, could you come here?"

Stein looked up from the frog that sat on a dissection tray in front of him at his wife, then back down at the frog. "Can it wait, Marie? We haven't made the first incision yet."

Marie laughed. "No, come here now, please."

Spirit grabbed Marie's shirt sleeve. "You can't be serious!"

"It saves the children having to dissect that frog. Besides, this way you have a meister with you if anything happens!" She patted his shoulder reassuringly, slipping in the room and shutting the door behind her as Stein came out. Both men heard the resounding click of the lock.

"I assume that you're going to find Sylvia and Marie volunteered me?" Stein said, lighting a cigarette.

Spirit's face caved. "Yeah."

"Cigarette?" Stein held the pack out to him and Spirit sighed, accepting one. He leaned close to Stein, lighting the cigarette against the other man's and took a deep drag.

"Thanks."

Stein nodded. "Let's go find her then. I have a frog slowly warming in there that I'd rather not waste." Spirit shuddered.

* * *

Sylvia and Kiru didn't have to wait long. A few minutes after they arrived the doors to the theater opened and Kiru darted inside, telling her to wait. He reemerged a few minutes later, a small box in his hands and the door slid shut behind him.

"Since you're riding behind you're going to have to hold this." He gave no explanation of its contents, just handed her the box. There was a sound of glass tinkling and liquid sloshing. Sylvia's keen sense of smell figured it out though.

She was holding a box full of vials of blood. "Kiru-san?"

"Hold tight to that." He said, sitting down on the motorcycle. "Let's go."

Sylvia slid into the seat behind him, her entire body tense as she wrapped one arm around the teen's waist and the motorcycle roared to life.

* * *

They arrived back at the apartment to find the door unlocked. Opening it Kiru entered first, stepping in and stopped immediately, Sylvia nearly running into him.

"Nice of you to come home, Kiru-kun." Stein's voice greeted him. "Sylvia-chan is no doubt directly behind you, yes?"

Sylvia's heart froze. _'If Hakase Stein is here…'_

"Sylvia, Azusa and I are very disappointed in you." Spirit's voice carried to her.

"We're going to give you the opportunity to explain why you were out instead of taking care of your injured teammate." Stein said, exhaling a gout of smoke into the air. Ash gathered on the tip of his cigarette and he tapped it into his hand as the smoke formed skulls.

Kiru was silent.

"Well, if you won't answer, Sylvia?"

"Ha-hakase Stein… we were…"

"I did go to get something to help Nicole-chan. Some medication that she needed after her injuries last night." Kiru interrupted, moving to walk past Stein.

Stein's hand shot out, catching Kiru's wrist. "Don't you mean medication she needs after the injury you sustained last night?" A smirk pulled at the scientist's lips. "Senpai may be blind, but I'm not."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Old Man." Kiru said curtly, twisting his wrist to no avail.

"I'm sure you don't, Dhampir."

* * *

**A/N: Love you all! I don't own Soul Eater or any OCs except Elsa and James. More of the other groups in the next chapter! Thanks for the reviews!**


	33. Jealousy, Unspoken Love and Dragons

Kiru's glare could easily have killed. He wrenched his wrist hard, aiming to break the scientist's grip, and staggered backwards when Stein easily released it.

"Don't act so surprised. Did you honestly believe that Lord Death didn't know what you were when you started attending his school?" Stein asked evenly, looking straight at the boy. "Or perhaps you didn't think it was noticed that you, the meister, never seemed to be injured in anyway after a mission, yet your weapon companion always seemed noticeably weaker? It was wise of you to not resort to stealing from the school's nurses office for what you needed though."

Sylvia stepped back from where she stood in the door, glancing over at Spirit as she did so. He just shook his head at her. Sighing she stepped into the room, and sat down on a chair near the door as Stein continued speaking to Kiru.

"Let me guess, you didn't realize what was happening last night when you took blood from her to heal your own wound and she didn't stop you, so you decided to get some to help her after you took too much."

"How the Hell do you know so much?!" The teen demanded, hate in his eyes.

"You believe that I wouldn't research someone who randomly decided to "volunteer" to help Sylvia, given how close Sylvia and Elsa are? I know you're not that stupid, Kiru." Stein reached up and twisted the screw in his head. "I expect you to give me that box, by the way. I'll make sure that the transfusion is done in a sterile, safe environment."

Spirit has remained silent the entire time, a look of sorrow on his face. As Stein stopped talking Spirit stood and walked over to Sylvia. He knelt in front of her, his face even with her own, and broke the silence.

"Sylvia, do you remember what Azusa told you last night?" The young dragon's face paled and she nodded nervously. "Well, I'm certain that she does as well. I don't think I'll be able to talk her out of it, either."

"Spirit-sama, you can't let her put me in the N.O.T. class!" Sylvia nearly shrieked as the red head stood up and walked back over to where Stein sat with Kiru glaring at him.

"Perhaps you should have thought about that first, Sylvia." Spirit said mournfully. "I was hoping you could be made into a death scythe. You'd be a powerful one."

Stein raised an eyebrow at the exchange, but just held his hand out to Kiru for the box. The youth glared at him, cradling it close to his body. "I don't need you to give them to Nicole. I can do it myself; we've never had any problems."

He stepped away from the two adults and Stein was in front of him faster than he could get to the hallway. "It's not up for debate, Kiru."

The boy vanished. One second he was in front of Stein, the next he was gone, shadows playing across where he had been standing. Sylvia watched as a look she had never seen before spread across Stein's face and he craned his head over his shoulder to shout down the hallway.

"I'm going to dissect you!" Sylvia's blood ran cold.

Spirit was at the meister's side in an instant, and the man's very presence seemed to bring Stein back to himself. Without a word Stein turned and walked down the hallway, pushing the door on the right open.

Kiru was inside with Nicole, and as the two men watched he pulled one of the vials out, the crystal glinting in the light, a wax stopper on top of the phial. He pulled the wax out and before the two men could stop him, poured the substance inside it directly onto Nicole's exposed abdomen.

In an instant Stein had his arms around Kiru, restraining the boy. Spirit was rushing past the two to grab a towel off the floor; before he could get to her though the substance shimmered and disappeared, color returning to Nicole's face as she smiled.

"There's a reason we've never had a problem." Kiru said smugly.

* * *

Elsa was having trouble focusing. Voices rose and fell all around her, and she couldn't tune them out easily. She coasted through the first half of class, and when the bell rung for lunch she just laid her head wearily down on the desk.

"Elsa?" A voice asked gently from beside her.

"I'm not hungry, James. I'm just going to stay here until after lunch." She said quietly, pressing her cheek against the wood and bringing her arms up to either side of her face before letting her hands and forearms reach back to circle around the back of her head, clasping together.

James' hand landed on her shoulder and Elsa felt a jolt that was accompanied by a feeling of relief, like something had been missing and wasn't now. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him.

"Go on and eat something, James." She said sweetly. The boy just shook his head.

"Either we both eat or neither of us does." He said sternly.

Marie looked up from where she was gathering papers at the desk and smiled, listening to the conversation.

"I'm just not hungry, James!" She said exasperatedly. He squeezed her shoulder and Elsa felt that jolt again.

"I don't care, Elsa. I am, and so you are going to eat, like it or not." Marie chuckled quietly as her daughter dragged herself out of the seat and followed James out the door, towards the cafeteria.

* * *

Nygus stood in the door of the nurse's office, scoffing at the young girl that was asleep in a chair beside a hospital bed. Moving with measured steps Nygus left the room, walking until she found Sid.

"Sid, come help me for a moment."

"What is it, Nygus?" The zombie asked.

"That girl, Artemis, hasn't left her meister's side since she brought him in, and now she's asleep in a chair." Nygus said, leading the way.

Sid stopped. "And you need me why, Nygus?"

Nygus turned, the bandages around her face hiding anything that her expression might be showing. "Because I need her moved into the bed beside him. I don't want Stein to come and steal the only chair I have left useable in there."

Sid laughed, following the weapon to the nurse's office.

* * *

Melody woke to the smell of food and light flooding through her window. The clock beside her bed read 11:37am. She stretched her arm out, and winced at the tightness of her skin. Looking down at it, the last night flooded back and she let out a blood curdling scream.

Avalon dropped the spatula he was holding and rushed into her room, pulling his sobbing meister carefully into his arms as she blubbered in French.

"Il sera bien, Melody. Il sera très bien. Je te promets." Avalon repeated until the girl stopped crying.

"Mon avant-bras." The girl whispered quietly against his chest before pulling back, her eyes widen. "Mon dieu!" She exclaimed before switching to English. "I'm so sorry, Avalon!"

"It's fine, Melody." Avalon said with a smile. If either one noticed they were still holding hands, neither one mentioned it.

* * *

James and Elsa stood in the lunch line, waiting their turn to order.

"What are you going to get, Elsa?" James asked and the young girl sighed.

"I'm not hungry, James."

James stepped around her and looked up at the board. "I want two miso soups and an order of special fried rice." He said quietly to the man behind the counter. The man nodded and gave James a number. "You're eating, Elsa. No complaints."

The girl opened her mouth to complain anyway when a quiet *cough, cough* drew both their attention. Valquez was standing beside the table, holding a tray; Ren behind him.

"Would you two mind if we sat with you?" He asked politely. Behind him, Ren blushed. Elsa narrowed her eyes at the girl.

"Of course not!" James said, smiling.

"How did your mission go?" Valquez asked as they sat down across from the pair. Elsa never took her eyes off of Ren. Ren didn't look anywhere other than at James.

James answered. "It went great. We only had a little slipup because we weren't paying attention to where the prekishin went. What about your twos?"

Valquez kicked Ren lightly underneath the table. "We got our soul without any injuries." She said, smiling shyly. "Though Val did manage to jump off a roof and nearly die."

Shock passed through both Elsa and James' faces. "What do you mean?" James asked, and Elsa forgot to glower at the girl.

"Well, the prekishin hit him pretty hard and I wound up flying from his grasp and reverting to my human form. The prekishin darted for me, and Val tackled him, both of them going over the side of the building." She said quietly, obviously nervous.

"I grabbed ahold of a window sill a story down from where I fell. The prekishin wasn't as lucky and died when it impacted with the ground." Val said, a smirk pasted on his face. "Easy fight, honestly. Though, we won't be fighting on rooftops anymore unless I can fly!"

James laughed with the other boy, and Elsa resumed glowering at Ren until the meal was over.

* * *

Sylvia sat on the chair beside the door, her knees drawn up to her chest, a thousand reasons why she shouldn't be removed from the E.A.T. class running through her head; she knew they would all be null against Azusa and her wrath.

The young dragon shuddered. _'Who do they think they are?'_ She thought suddenly. _'If I want to be a death scythe, I'm an autonomous weapon and I can do it on my own! I don't have to listen to them; I have my allowance from the DWMA. They're not my parents. I'm a dragon! These pitiful short lived humans can't deny me what I want!'_

Spirit's hand touched her shoulder. "Let's go, Sylvia. Azusa is waiting for us." He reached down to slip his hand in hers, pulling the girl to her feet.

"No."

"Sylvia, we're leaving. Don't throw a temper tantrum." Spirit said.

"You have no right to tell me what to do or not to do! You are not my father, Spirit Albarn!" The girl shrieked, pulling her hand from his. "You're a pitiful _human_." She sneered. "I will stay in the E.A.T. class. I will become a death scythe, and I do not need you or your mate to give me permission!"

Sylvia took three running steps away from the death scythe, and with each step fire exploded on him. One last burst of flames surrounded Sylvia and she took to the skies, a massive black creature winging its way south.

Spirit screamed, his clothing quickly going up in flames. A hand grabbed his shoulder, dragging him through the apartment as Stein shouted, "Kiru, the bathroom!"

The dhampir hesitated for only a moment, and then darted across the hall from Nicole's room, throwing the door open only seconds before Stein shoved Spirit through, turning the water in the shower on full force and thrusting the burning death scythe and his own arm underneath the water, the flames going out quickly.

Spirit collapsed into the tub, breathing heavily, portions of his clothing completely burned away and revealing shiny red burns underneath that Stein assumed were at least 3rd degree. Stein then stared in wonder at his own arm. He wasn't burnt as badly as Spirit, but the burn ached deeply, looking as if the flesh itself had started to melt.

"Kiru, we will discuss this all later. Right now I have to get Senpai's wounds taken care of." Stein said, bending down to gently help Spirit back to his feet. The death scythe leaned heavily on Stein, his breathing ragged.

"_Dear Death, the pain."_ He gasped out lowly.

Stein just nodded, his own slightly burned arm throbbing painfully. He turned to leave, and found the Dhampir standing in front of him.

"I'll make a deal with you." The teen said quietly, and Stein smirked.

"What's that, Kiru?"

"The phials will take care of your wounds. But you will never mention them to anyone. I can't get many at once."

Stein glanced at Spirit, who was barely conscious.

"Deal."

* * *

Sylvia's wings beat powerfully as she fled from the man who had saved her life, the man who had taken her into his home, the man who treated her like his own offspring.

'_The man who is not your father.'_ A voice said suddenly.

Sylvia stopped her frantic flight and looked down to see a peculiar looking man standing on a rooftop, staring up at her. Something about him called to her, and she landed beside him, nearly falling as she took her human form.

The man looked to be maybe in his 20s, though his hair was snow white and long. His eyes captured her attention, a deep purple. She blinked and took in his clothing, the long white robe with gold highlights, the white boots and white gloves; he even had a matching mantle. _'Who wears a mantle anymore?' _She wondered.

He seemed… almost like a priest. Someone holy? Maybe it wasn't that… maybe someone… important?

"Do… do I know you?" She asked suddenly.

"In a way." He said.

The voice was familiar. Sylvia's brow furrowed behind her fringe and the man chuckled.

"You hide your heritage like it's a curse, something to be afraid of. Fool."

Sylvia's eyes widened. "I dreamt of your voice."

"It's good to hear that you're not as much a fool as I thought, then." He replied offhandedly.

"Who are you?"

The man was silent. "Larza." He replied finally. "You would do well to not mingle with Short Times. The low born are not meant for you to consort with, hatchling."

A sudden sound drew Sylvia's attention for a brief second, and when she looked back the man was gone. It was only then that she realized she hadn't sensed any souls but her own.

* * *

**A/N: /bow**

**Ok, maybe it's a little too soon; I did hit 100k words with this chapter.**

**Thank you all so much for all the encouragement for this. Especially Eive-kun, Fall-chan, boob tube, AU and Greek. Love you all!**

**And thanks to all of you who read, even if you don't review. 2300 views. Nearly 100 reviews. It makes me want to cry :3**


	34. Difficult Decisions

"And who might you be?" The ridiculously childish voice made the white haired man cringe, disgust painting on his face.

"I am Larza." The man said exasperatedly.

"Hmm… nope, don't know you." Lord Death put his oversized hand thoughtfully against the base of his mask, where his chin would be. "What can I help you with? And welcome to the DWMA, though I don't understand why you felt that you needed-"

"I'm here to retrieve my daughter." Larza interrupted. "I know she is being forced to attend this school, cloistered with mere humans."

"Mere humans? You mean the weapon and meister pairs that live and train here? And I'm sure whoever she is she isn't being forced to attend this school." Lord Death said consolingly.

Steps echoed up the corridor of guillotines that led into the Death Room proper and Lord Death looked up. "Ah, Stein-kun, Spirit-kun. I'm afraid I'm a little busy at the moment, could you come back later?" It was only after greeting them that the Death God realized the state they were in. Spirit stood somewhat unsteadily, Stein's lab coat draped around his shoulders. Stein stood a little closer than usual to the death scythe, and it was obvious from the man's stance that it was for support.

"Lord Death, your visitor, I am sorry to interrupt this meeting, but we have an issue with Sylvia." Stein said carefully, eyeing the strange man standing with Lord Death.

"And what issue do you have with my daughter?" The man asked icily, his purple eyes flashing dangerously.

"Lord Death?" Stein asked quietly, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at the man's soul. It was large, and a white gold color. More impressive was the fact that it was shaped like a large dragon's skull and it seemed that there was some blue ribbon-like icy looking substance running around it.

"This man is Larza, apparently his daughter is attending this school and he has come to "retrieve" her." Lord Death explained easily. "I was just explaining to him that that would impossible."

"Impossible! I will not allow my hatchling to-" The man broke off suddenly. The four looked down the corridor and saw Azusa approaching with Sylvia. "At last, someone with some sense! Hurry and bring my hatchling, woman."

"Don't you dare speak to my wife like that!" Spirit growled out, taking a step towards the man.

"_Senpai, don't."_ Stein hissed, grabbing Spirit's arm.

Azusa stopped, giving her best _Queen of Committee Chairmen_ glare at the strange man. The sheer hatred in his glare back made even Azusa step back a bit.

"At least you can be taught your place, human." Larza said, his tone derogatory, as if talking to an animal.

"Now listen here, Larza. I've had enough of this. You will not come into this place and insult my death scythes!" Lord Death interjected.

"And what do you or your death scythes matter to my kind?!" Larza demanded. "All that matters is that my hatchling is finally returned to me!"

Sylvia stepped away from the arguing adults, pressing her back against one of the guillotine archways. She glanced over her shoulder to look at one of the gathered shadows that were being cast by the archway and sighed.

"Humans do not dictate the lives of Dragons." Anger crept through his voice, becoming more and more obvious as he continued. "Dragons are not some sort of household pet that you can pet and mother over. I will be taking my hatchling with me. Do not presume to think that you, mere humans, could know better than I the best way to raise my hatchling."

"I am no human." Lord Death's voice was a full octave lower than before. "You are threatening one of my students. I will ask you now to leave. Only return when you are willing to speak calmly and leave your insults behind you."

"You are a fool. What sway do you hold over immortals?" Larza gave a barking laugh. "It is in your best interest to give my offspring back to me. I am the Elder Larza, mate of Yira, and true father of Sylvia. I will decide what she will and will not do. I will decide if she demeans herself to become a death scythe or not. I will decide whether or not to return her to the custody of the witches. Do you understand me, humans?"

"You're no father to her!" Spirit's voice called out. "Where were you when her foster mother nearly killed her and her foster father? Where were you when her foster father nearly killed her? Azusa and I have taken care of her, given her the family that you were not willing to! We deserve to be her parents more than you ever have!"

"SILENCE!" Larza erupted. "Sylvia is my hatchling! She is not your child, she has b-"

"Would all of you shut up!" Sylvia's voice overrode even Larza's. "My father is correct. Spirit-sama and Azusa-sama are not my parents. They are my family only on paper." The girl's eyes were wide open and steel grey. "I do not consider them to be my parents with Larza present."

The four adults stared at her in shock, Larza with a smirk on his face.

"Consider this: I was forced to be friends with your little ones. I was forced to live with you. I was forced to consider you my parents. Do you think that was easy, humans?" Her face contorted into a distinctively draconic grin. "What makes you think that I didn't loathe every minute that I had to spend in your little one's shadows, knowing I was superior to them in every way? You were never my actual parents."

Azusa's motherly instincts kicked in and she immediately began to reprimand Sylvia. "Don't you take that tone with us, young lady!"

"Do not speak to my hatchling in that tone, human!" Larza took a step towards Azusa, visibly fighting to calm himself. Stein could see the creature's wavelength fluctuating and Spirit took a few steps towards Lord Death, one arm held out from his body slightly.

"Let's cease this arguing!" Lord Death cried out in his childish voice.

"Do you see now why I am hesitant of involving my kind with yours? Humans will always be uneducated, dumb creatures. Why should we, the glorious dragons, force ourselves to roam this stupidity-ruled land, instead of being content to wander the open skies? This, Lord Death, is why we would much rather be on equal terms with the Witches. They do not demand that we listen to stupid dribble when we entreat with them!"

"The witches would destroy the world!"

"And humans have not?!"

A pair of arms slipped around Sylvia's waist and only Stein noticed her disappear into the shadows.

* * *

"Kiru-san!" Sylvia's voice rang out. "Release me!" She took a step away from him when her actions crashed over her and she hit her knees, tears falling down her face. _"Spirit-sama, Azusa-sama… forgive me…"_ She whispered quietly, part of her knowing that what she had said was the simple truth.

"What's wrong, little dragon?" Kiru's voice was closer than Sylvia expected and she found herself looking up and right into his face.

Sylvia's self-control cracked, and she flung her arms around the boy's neck, sobbing. Nicole came out of her room and looked oddly at the pair; Sylvia sobbing against Kiru's chest and neck, Kiru with his hands awkwardly hovering away from the girl's body. Nicole's laughter cut through the room as she disappeared back into her room.

"I knew you liked her!" Her voice called out and Kiru face palmed.

"Sylvia, what is wrong with you?" He pushed the girl away from him gently.

A blush spread across the young dragon's face and she pulled back. "I'm sorry, Kiru-san. Thank you for taking me away from the Death Room when you did." Sylvia took a deep breath, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Well, as entertaining as it was to watch all of that, I was bored." He said flippantly. "You looked fairly bored too, so I thought, why not?"

Sylvia nodded slowly, her eyes focused inward in thought. _'I can't go home!'_ She realized suddenly, fresh tears falling.

"Just stay here." Kiru said standing. "We'll move some stuff around. You'll have to share a room with Nicole." The dhampir walked off, shock on Sylvia's face.

"I- I couldn't imposition you like that, Kiru-san!" She burst out.

"It's normal for teams to live together." He shrugged. "Besides, I heard everything. You really can't go back to them now, can you?"

Sylvia nodded sadly, though the dhampir couldn't see it.

"_Even forced friends are friends…" _She said quietly, tears streaking her cheeks.

* * *

Stein strode back to his classroom, having extricated himself from the debate currently going on in the Death Room. It was only a little bit after lunch, but he needed to speak with Marie. As he entered the class quieted and Marie looked up from the chart she was drawing on the board to depict resonance.

"Thank you for watching the class, Marie-sensei." He said and then turned to look at the class. "You're dismissed. Bring me a 500 word essay on whatever she was teaching you, due by the end of the week."

The entire class was quiet, and the chalk dropped from Marie's fingers. It landed quietly on the floor before the first student stood up, looked around and left.

"Have a nice half day." Stein said cordially, stepping to the side to let the student pass. "Are the rest of you just going to sit there for the rest of your day?" He adjusted the screw in his head. "Unless, of course, you are volunteering to be test subjects, I suggest that you enjoy my giving you a half day off." He finished with a sadistic grin, the classroom emptying quickly until only James and Elsa remained, looking at her parents.

"Go on to the lab, you two." Stein said, waving over his shoulder. "Or wherever. You don't have to wait on us."

"Dad?"

Stein looked at his daughter.

"Where's Sylvia?"

The screw clicked backwards in Stein's head before he answered. "I don't know, but when I find her, I'm going to dissect her."

"You are not, Franken." Marie's voice was icy.

Stein just glanced at his wife. "Go on and leave you two."

The two children looked at each other and left.

"Marie, Sylvia nearly killed Spirit."

"Sylvia wouldn't do something like that!"

"Marie, I was there. She lit him on fire and flew off." Stein brandished his left arm at her, the skin shiny and tight looking. "That is what happened when I grabbed him to drag him into the shower. If I hadn't, he would have burned to death shortly thereafter."

Marie's eye was wide, one hand covering her mouth. "But… how? Couldn't you neutralize it like everything else?"

"In the heat of the moment it didn't seem as important as extinguishing Senpai." A dry chuckle escaped the Professor.

"Is Spirit alright?"

"He'll pull through, though it was iffy for a while." Stein remarked, pulling a cigarette out of his lab coat. "I'm not too sure if he'll survive what's going on in the Death Room right now, though."

"What do you mean?" Marie grabbed her purse, walking towards the door. Stein caught her arm, pulling her to him.

In a low, conspiratorial voice he whispered in her ear, _"Sylvia's biological father is there. He's demanding custody of her now, and Sylvia just threw everything that Spirit and Azusa have done for her in their faces before disappearing."_

Marie's purse hit the floor. Stein picked it up and slipped it back over her shoulder. "Shall we go find her then, Marie?"

The blonde death scythe just nodded, and the two left the school room.

* * *

"Hey, Syl-chan!" Nicole's voice pulled Sylvia from her musings where she sat. "I know that all your clothing and stuff is still at your house- do you have a key or something so that we could go and get some of it at least?" The girl was standing in front of her, a happy smile on her face.

"I do…" Sylvia answered. "Are you really ok with having to share a room with me?"

"It's only until we find a bigger apartment, and that shouldn't take too long!" Nicole flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled again. "Well, let's go! I know someone who'll loan us a truck so we can move more of your stuff than we could on Kiru-kun's bike!"

Sylvia sighed and stood, indecision on her face before being replaced by determination. "Let's go then." She said brushing her hair out of her eyes. _'I am not ashamed of my heritage. I will not hide who I am. I am a Dragon. I am a weapon. And I will become a death scythe. I will remain in the E.A.T. class.'_

Kiru smirked from where he was leaning on the wall. He brushed past Sylvia and murmured, _"I told you it looked better that way."_

* * *

None of the Albarns were home when the three teens got there. Sylvia nervously pulled out her key and entered the house, moving quickly to her room. She stopped when she entered it, looking at the room that Azusa and Spirit had so carefully detailed for her, just to welcome her to their home. Her gaze then fell on the teddy bear that James had given her so long ago. She picked it up and held it against her chest for a moment before grabbing one of the boxes they had picked up, sitting the bear in it.

It didn't take very long before her belongings were packed up and in the back of the truck. Sylvia sighed as she looked around her room. Turning her back on it she locked the front door from the inside, leaving her key sitting on the island in the kitchen. She pulled the door shut behind her and left.

* * *

**A/N: I know, that was a primarily Sylvia chapter. Oh well! I hope that you enjoyed it. **

**Thanks for the reviews, PMs and encouragements. New poll up- a popularity one! In my profile :)**

**I don't own Soul Eater or any OCs except Elsa and James.**


	35. Looking Death in the Eyes

Larza stood in the middle of the three other individuals, completely confident of his ability to survive if the retrieval of his hatchling became violent. The fourth one had left a few minutes prior; saying the affairs of dragons had nothing to do with him. Larza had agreed with a quip about how someone was at least willing to see wisdom.

'_Now if only these two stupid humans and the so called Death God could be as easily convinced.'_ He thought tiredly.

"You have no right to claim Sylvia after you gave her up!" The man screamed, his mate nodding. "If not for us, she would have been killed for what she did!"

"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time. There's no need to raise your voice you barbaric human." Larza drawled out slowly. "Sylvia is my hatchling. She doesn't need to be raised among your kind."

"And a witch is a better substitute?" Azusa asked, her voice cold.

"Than a mere mortal human?" Larza scoffed. "What wouldn't be?"

"The sway of magic causes witches to be nothing but destructive! We've given her a loving home!"

"Yes, I heard that my hatchling has so enjoyed living cooped up underneath your roof, unable to even spread her wings." Larza looked up then, and his countenance grew grim.

A bestial roar filled the Death Room. **"WHERE IS MY HATCHLING?!"**

Spirit was in weapon form and in Lord Death's hands before either of them realized it, Larza's form blurring and shifting. Deep purple eyes stared down at the Death God and the scythe, pure white scales glinting in the light. Ice armored the dragon and he roared again.

The room seemed to shake. Lord Death just sat Spirit's end on the ground and looked up at the dragon. "You forget where you are, dragon."

A chill ran through the two weapons.

"You are in my domain." Death's voice was cold and ominous. "I would not see Sylvia truly orphaned when she has just now found out that you are her father."

* * *

James and Elsa walked back to the lab slowly when Elsa suddenly stopped. James reached behind himself to grab her arm and tug her forward. It wasn't the first time the girl had stopped walking. He was sure it wouldn't be the last.

This time however, the girl didn't start walking with his gentle tug. She spoke.

"James, what if Sylvia never comes back?" Her voice was soft.

James turned to face the girl. "She'll come back, Elsa."

"How can you be so sure, though? She just left us for that asshole and his friend!" Elsa's hands were balled up in fists and James could tell that she was close to crying.

"She didn't leave us, Elsa. We're not technically her partners. Sylvia's an antonymous weapon- you know that." He patted the girl's shoulder gently.

Elsa sighed, and for a brief second James thought that he had diffused the situation, until he heard Elsa's nearly inaudible whisper.

"_If she doesn't want a partner, then he can't be her partner either. I'll dissect him first…"_ James' soul froze at how cold and menacing Elsa sounded. The girl walked past him, moving at last with purpose towards the lab.

'_But for what purpose?'_ James wondered to himself.

* * *

Larza laughed. The beast's laughter echoed through the Death Room, and Azusa took a step back. "How about this, Shinigami? If you can best me with your little toy, in your domain, I will allow you to borrow my hatchling for a while."

Spirit's voice erupted from the scythe. "What kind of father barters with his own daughter's life?!"

"When I best you, Larza, you will leave Death City and never return- you will leave Sylvia alone unless she seeks you out herself." Lord Death said, his voice still deep.

Another burst of laughter erupted from the dragon. "I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!"

Scythe met claw. The impact knocked Azusa off her feet, and she quickly retreated to a safe distance to watch as the fight drew out. _'I want to believe that Lord Death will win…'_ She thought to herself, _'but dragons are immortal, and what power does death hold over someone who doesn't die?'_

"REAPER CHOP!" Lord Death slammed his oversized hand down on the top of the dragon's head.

Larza's head hit the ground hard, his four legs easily absorbing most of the blow. A laugh erupted from him as he raised his head back up to look at Lord Death.

"Is that all you have, then, Reaper? The best you can do to 'protect' my hatchling? It doesn't comfort me." He mocked, still laughing.

"WITCH HUNTER!" Spirit's blade expanded, forming a crescent shape, and Lord Death brought it down on the dragon.

Larza hissed, the attack going through his armor and leaving a large gash. A smirk crossed the dragon's face briefly, and he opened his mouth, expelling a gout of blue-white flames with a gold center. Spirit flinched in his weapon form, remembering all too well how painful dragon fire was.

It never reached them. Lord death swirled his cloak around in front of him and the fire hit it- and was absorbed. Lord Death's mask curved upwards and he tilted his head to let a gout of smoke escape from the bottom hole of the mask.

"Well, Larza. It appears that you cannot harm me- do you wish to concede?"

The dragon laughed and lunged, sharp claws once again meeting metal as Lord Death blocked. Blood fell briefly from the dragon's wound before the wound closed itself. A savage bite knocked the Death God back, a part of his mask chipping, but at the same time a shockwave jolted through the dragon, sending the massive beast crashing backwards. Lord Death spun Spirit before lowering him into a defensive position.

"Yield, Larza. I have no wish to kill an immortal." Shivers ran through Azusa.

'_I haven't heard him so serious since he fought the kishin!'_

The dragon retook his human form, laughing. "Very well, Reaper. I will leave your precious Death City."

Spirit hit his human form and spoke before Lord Death could. "And you'll leave Sylvia alone too!"

"Ah, stupid human. That was never the bargain." With that, Larza turned and left the death room. "I will see my hatchling when she leaves this terribly constraining place." He turned as he left, grinning. "Try not to die in fire, would you? I so hate when it is tainted by the ashes of a human."

Spirit seethed.

* * *

Elsa strode into her home, going straight to her father's lab. "I need you to stay here so you can tell my mother and dad where I've gone, James." She was rummaging through a desk drawer.

James stood behind her. "Where are you going to go, Elsa?" He asked quietly.

"To visit _Kiru_." She said coldly, finally turning to face him, something held in her hand behind her back.

"No, you're not. Your dad told us to stay here, and we're going to." James argued, one hand grabbing her shoulder.

"Actually, he said we could go wherever we wanted and I want to go visit _Kiru_." Elsa smiled sweetly, tilting her head to the side.

James sighed. "No."

Elsa's face contorted in rage. "I will if I want to, James!"

"Give it to me." James said, holding his hand out for whatever she had hidden from him.

"Take it." Elsa laughed and danced backwards. It wasn't her giggle; it was a full bodied laugh that made James' blood run cold.

James lunged at the girl, catching her cleanly around the waist and knocking her to the ground. She landed on her back, her right arm twisted underneath her body. She screamed and James could smell blood. A look of fear crossed his face and he twisted off of her.

As soon as he released her, Elsa was on her feet. She buried the scalpel in his stomach, twisting it as she laughed. The blood that James had smelled wasn't from the scalpel burying itself in her back, but from a shallow gash that she had made on her other arm as she fell. James sagged against the wall with his hands clasped around the wound even as Elsa pulled the blade from his stomach, wiping his blood onto his gakuran.

As the darkness overtook his vision James heard Elsa whisper. _"Looks like I'll need a weapon too. Maybe I can use Nicole-chan after I dissect Kiru. Goodbye, onii-chan." _Her sweet voice seemed to twist the endearment into a curse even as she pressed her lips against his cheek.

The world went dark.

* * *

"Kiru-kun is already looking for a bigger apartment!" Nicole said happily as she helped Sylvia move the last box into their bedroom. "We shouldn't have to stay cooped up like this much longer!"

Sylvia smiled weakly. "Thank you, Nicole-san."

The girl burst out laughing. "You don't have to be so formal Syl-chan! We're living together now!"

Sylvia just nodded. "I'll… try, Nicole-chan."

Nicole just laughed again, and from the hallway looking in Kiru smirked.

* * *

Stein darted down the alleyway towards Kiru and Nicole's apartment when he felt Elsa's soul. She was alone, James nowhere within his Soul Perception's radius. Narrowing his eyes he watched as his daughter skipped up the stairs leading to the apartment, and very nearly missed the glint of metal in the sunlight. A second later he saw the stains on the metal.

"_Marie, we have a problem." _He whispered.

"I see her, Franken."

Stein hesitated. "Marie, she has a scalpel and it's already bloody."

Panic rushed through him from the bond he currently shared with his wife. "What do you think that she's done, Franken?"

"We can only hope that it was to herself." Stein sighed, darting towards the apartment even as Kiru opened the door. _'I can guarantee it wasn't.'_ He thought to himself. _'She's not in any type of distress and if she lost herself, a small cut wouldn't stop the need.'_

* * *

The blood pumping from in between James' fingers slowed.

* * *

"Elsa? What the hell do you want?" The dhampir demanded, stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

"I'm bringing Sylvia-chan home." The dhampir frowned. Her voice was… wrong?

"Sylvia's living here now, so go home kid." He said dismissively, turning from her to reopen the door.

Elsa buried the scalpel in his back. Kiru cursed, one hand reaching to try to pull out the scalpel even as Elsa channeled her wavelength through the surgical device, her laughter echoing oddly along the empty street.

"ELSA!" Stein's voice distracted the girl for a second, and Kiru collapsed, coughing blood. The second was all that Stein needed. With Marie screaming at him not to he brought the weapon crashing into Elsa's side.

The girl went flying, but she landed on her feet and skidded to a stop. She stood, her shoulders hunched and a glare on her face. An inhuman scream ripped itself from her throat and she charged back towards them, yellow energy flickering across her hands.

Stein stood his ground. The attack hit hard, but he managed to dissipate all of it. Elsa hit him again and again. He never used Marie to block, just kept dissipating the attack. Marie was sobbing in his mind as she watched their daughter caught in the worst attack Stein had ever seen. Kiru breathed weakly on the ground, a foot away from the door.

A shriek tore through the air and Stein threw Marie into the air. She hit her human form behind him, and darted to the open door, shoving Nicole back through it. She grabbed Kiru and pulled him into the living room, removing the scalpel from his back as Stein blocked Elsa's renewed attack. Sylvia stood in shock, watching what was going on in horror.

"El-elsa-chan!" She finally cried out.

Elsa's attack ceased immediately. She smiled sweetly at Sylvia. "Let's go home, onee-chan." She said, tilting her head, extending her bloody hand.

"Elsa… I am home. I can't live with Azusa-sama and Spirit-sama anymore." Sylvia said almost brokenly.

"You can't live with him!" Elsa shrieked, darting towards Kiru.

Stein's wavelength rushed through the child's body and she flew back against the wall, slamming her head against it. She collapsed against the base of it, her breathing already smoothing into a regular, deep pattern; completely indicative of unconsciousness.

* * *

James' chest barely moved.

* * *

Marie cradled Elsa to her chest, sobbing as Stein looked Kiru over. He gave the boy a knowing look and the teen shrugged. "I gave you asses the last ones I had." He said. "I'll be fine though. Just get that insane bitch out of here."

Stein's face hardened and it was obvious that he was struggling to keep from striking Kiru. The boy realized this and stood unsteadily to his feet, Nicole darting under his arm to let him lean on her. There was a tap on his left side and Kiru just shook his head. Stein noted the motion, but let it be, instead choosing to stand and move to Marie.

He gently but firmly took their daughter from Marie's grasp. "I tried to warn you, Marie." He said, sadness in his tone. "It's not easy to have to fight her." The strangled sob Marie gave was enough confirmation that he knew she finally understood. The two left quickly, heading home with Elsa.

Stein's thoughts turned inward as they walked, Marie hovering at his elbow, brushing Elsa's hair from her face when the wind would blow it in it.

'_Where is James?'_ Stein thought, a sour feeling in the pit of his stomach. _'He would never have allowed Elsa to do something so rash.'_

Stein hastened his steps.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that this chapter took so long to get up. Like I said, I've been having some issues that prevented me from being able to write. Thanks so much for waiting patiently! I know… this chapter was angsty, but I can promise more fluff is to come! :D**

**I don't own Soul Eater or anything else in this except Elsa and James.**

**Love you all! Thanks for the reviews, PMs and everything!**

**Make sure to vote for your favorite OCs in my profile! It's important ;)**


	36. Survival Hangs by a Thread

With a shuddering gasp, James' chest stopped moving.

* * *

Azusa stood in shock at what had just happened. Lord Death held Spirit in weapon form still, watching the dragon's retreating back. With a casual flick of (what would be) his wrist, the shinigami released Spirit. The death scythe hit the ground on his feet, and enfolded his wife in a huge hug, crushing her to his chest.

Azusa shook from trying to hold the tears in. Lord Death's oversized hand rested on their shoulders for a second and both death scythes suddenly remembered where they were. Azusa pulled away from Spirit, adjusting her glasses, stalling. Lord Death was silent.

"Do we… do we still get to continue being her parents?" Spirit spoke into the silence, Azusa looking questioningly at the shinigami.

"Well, I don't see why not!" The reaper said brightly, bouncing back a few feet. "I'm glad that's all settled now. You did a great job, Spirit-kun!"

"Thank you, Lord Death." Azusa said, bowing.

"Of course! If you two have any other problems, just let me know!" He bounced back to look in the mirror as the two death scythes left the room.

* * *

Azusa and Spirit arrived home a little later to find Sylvia's key sitting in plain view. Azusa strode over to it and picked it up, looking at Spirit. For the second time he wrapped his arms around his wife and held her. This time, though, she sobbed into her chest.

They both knew what this meant. Sylvia was gone.

"_We'll find her, Azusa. I promise you. No one on earth can hide from you, right Committee?" _He felt her sobs trail off with the joke. _"I promise. Sylvia is our daughter, even if it is just on paper. She's an Albarn now; we'll find her."_

Azusa nodded and pulled away from him, adjusting her glasses and hair briefly. He watched as his wife centered herself, and then as her pupils went wide, her gaze distant. Slipping an arm underneath her legs he picked her up, careful carrying her into their room, Azusa's lips moving occasionally as she memorized where she had searched.

Spirit laid her down on the bed and went to leave. Azusa's hand grabbed his, pulling him down towards her, her concentration never breaking. A smile crossed his face as Spirit curled up beside her.

* * *

Stein carried their unconscious daughter through the streets of Death City quickly, Marie trotting at his elbow, constantly moving the hair out of Elsa's face or just smoothing it. Stein ignored the actions, knowing that Marie was simply trying to calm herself.

They found the blood drops outside the door of the lab and Stein knew. Looking into the lab he could sense, just barely, a soul inside it. He handed Elsa to Marie quietly, and was the first one to enter.

"Marie, take Elsa to her room, would you please? I have some notes I need to look over that I believe will be relevant to what just happened." He lied easily, moving deeper into the lab without waiting on her answer.

He entered his lab slowly, noting the increase of blood in the area, the tang of copper in the air. He carefully shut the door behind him and locked it.

"Marie doesn't need to see this, and letting Elsa see what she's done could snap her again." He said quietly, moving towards the source of the soul that was fading quickly.

He found James propped against the wall. The boy's hands were clutching the massive wound in his abdomen, his head tilted back with a trickle of blood running down his lips and chin. There was a large pool of blood around him.

What worried Stein was the fact that James wasn't breathing. Moving quickly to the boy's side Stein's fears were well founded. The blood from his wound was sluggish; it was obvious that James' heart was just barely still beating.

Knocking echoed through the lab. "Franken?" Marie's voice called out.

Stein froze briefly, and then he answered. "Yes?"

"Why is the door locked?" Marie's voice was obviously confused. Stein picked up James carefully and laid the boy on the operating table before answering.

"Marie, call Azusa and Spirit. Have them get here now."

"Franken?"

"James is dying." Silence answered him, followed by the click of heels as Marie dashed off.

Stein turned his attention to the boy, hoping that he would be able to save him.

* * *

He is the most skilled meister to ever graduate from the DWMA; A renowned doctor who doesn't have an equal. He knows the human body better than most people know their phone number. He is the (in)famous Doctor Franken Stein.

And even he looked down in horror at the chop job Elsa had done on James' abdomen and the internal organs housed within. He could hear Azusa screaming through the door. He couldn't go to unlock it, James' life hung by a fine thread; a single moment could be the difference between the boy's life and death.

A crash signaled the end of the door. Stein didn't allow the noise to distract him; instead he continued the operation that he hoped would save James' life. He didn't know how long it had been since James had stopped breathing, so he hoped it was a short enough period before he got James hooked up to the breathing machine that there wouldn't be any brain damage.

A small part wondered if there was if the damage would affect James' ability to transform. Stein fought his curiosity with everything he had, focusing on trying to repair the damage that Elsa had caused.

Azusa's scream tore through the lab. Spirit pulled his wife away from their son, burying her head against his chest so that she couldn't see him. Azusa sobbed into his shirt as Spirit stood and watched what Stein was doing to James. After a few moments Azusa had calmed slightly, but she started weeping again when she craned her head back to look at James.

Marie stood motionless, her hand covering her mouth, tears in her uncovered eye. She blinked, the tears spilling down, and reached out to grab Azusa's hand, pulling her out of her husband's grasp. Spirit let go reluctantly, and Marie drug Azusa out of the lab.

Spirit stood, forcing himself to watch as Stein made small incisions in his son's chest and stomach, widening the cut that was in James' abdomen, stitches slowly covering the inside of his son.

"Spirit, is he your blood type?" Stein asked quietly.

"Yes."

"Roll your sleeves up. He needs blood, desperately. His blood pressure is low, and he may die if he doesn't have a transfusion soon." Stein said without looking up.

Before he had even finished talking Spirit's suit jacket was off and he was rolling up the sleeves of his shirt.

"When?"

"Get a chair from the kitchen so you can sit beside him, or drag one of the tables over and lay on it. Lying is probably the best option in this situation."

Spirit just nodded, carefully moving a table to the side that Stein wasn't working on and laid down on it, clenching his hand into a fist. He waited like that for another long minute before Stein stood and started the process of the transfusion.

Spirit winced as he felt the needle slide into his vein, shuddering from the cold feeling of the blood not making it to his hand.

"He needs as much as you're willing to give, Senpai." Stein said quietly, patching a new bleeder, all too aware that the blood on his hands now was probably Spirit's.

"I'll give it all if I have to, you understand Stein?" Spirit said forcefully.

"I do, Senpai."

Stein worked in silence for a few long minutes. Spirit broke the silence, his voice tired. "Just couldn't wait to get an Albarn back under the blade, eh, Stein?"

"But of course." Stein replied absently. "Perhaps there's something physically different in his DNA that I could find since he is the offspring of two death scythes."

There was a long stretch of silence.

"My arm'sssss nnnumbb…" Spirit slurred suddenly.

Stein cursed. He had forgotten about Spirit's previous injuries. He stood, quickly ending the transfusion. "Just lay still, Spirit. Don't move at all." The death scythe gave a slight nod, his eyes slipping closed.

A little over an hour later Stein was stitching James back up. The boy was breathing shallowly on his own; if he survived the next few hours his odds were good. Spirit lay on the table asleep beside James.

Stein stood, stripping off his bloodied lab coat and shirt and washed his hands before leaving the lab to retrieve some clean clothing. He walked up the stairs and changed, managing to avoid Azusa and Marie for a second where they were in the kitchen and stopped to check on Elsa.

He opened her door and found her sitting on her bed, a blank look on her face.

"Elsa?" He called out quietly. The girl didn't react to his presence. He crossed to her and reached out, touching her shoulder. "Elsa." He said more forcefully.

Her eyes focused for a moment, a tear slipping down her face before they glazed over again. Stein understood. Her conscious mind was trying to remember what had happened while she was lost in the madness, and her unconscious mind was fighting it tooth and nail. He could only hope for her sake that she never remembered.

As he left Elsa's voice called out to him. It was small, broken, and immensely sad. "Please tell him I'm sorry… so sorry…" Her voice trailed up into giggles as Stein shut the door, the girl having already forgotten what she had said.

* * *

Sylvia lay in bed, wondering if Azusa and Spirit were looking for her or if they were happy to be rid of her after what she had done to them in the Death Room. The girl sighed and she heard Nicole roll over.

"Seriously, Syl-chan. Stop freaking out over it. It's not odd for partners to live together once they start at the DWMA. You would've moved out soon; James-san probably would too." The girl stifled a yawn. "I'm sure that everything is completely fine."

Sylvia nodded, yawning. Finally she let herself drift off to sleep.

"_And that hatchling, is precisely why I came back to remove you from this cesspool of humanity." Sylvia looked up and saw Larza standing a few feet away. "They see you as nothing more than a rarity, something to be possessed. They try to corrupt you, a dragon! Did you not feel the anger stir in you when that __**human child**__ attempted to strike down another immortal?!"_

_An image of Elsa burying the scalpel in Kiru's back flashed through Sylvia's mind, even though she herself hadn't seen the attack that injured him._

"_Mabaa-san sees you as her own grandchild. The witches accept you as one of their own. Why would you persist in tying yourself to these… insects? You are a dragon! Leave Death City, join the witches. No harm will come to the ones that you have forced yourself to be friends with then. I cannot swear that will be true if you insist on remaining here, hatchling."_

_An image of a dark robed man appeared in Sylvia's mind, followed by one of Elsa and James lying dead on the ground._

"_The witches themselves will protect your friends if you leave now and join them. I urge you to before the war comes. It has been centuries in the making. If you do not wish to join the witches, just leave the city. I cannot come to you, hatchling. A dragon honors their word. Return to our domain. Know freedom."_

Sylvia sat upright in her sleep, her body trembling and her soul surging before she woke completely.

* * *

**A/N: I don't own Soul Eater or any of the OCs in this other than Elsa and James.**

**Also- opinions in the review on this topic please: I am considering breaking **_**Elsa**_** into two stories, seeing how long this one has gotten. I would appreciate your feelings on it, loyal readers.**

**Thanks for the reviews, PMs, and words of encouragement! :3 Love you all!**


	37. Will it be the same?

Stein stepped back into his lab and checked James' vitals again. Everything read fine and the scientist moved to wake Spirit. The death scythe woke slowly, but immediately asked, "How is James?"

Stein supported the shorter man as they left. "He should make it. Any longer though and he wouldn't have."

Spirit was silent, but as they reached the door to the lab he put his hand out to hold it shut. "What happened, Stein?"

'_Marie and Azusa must have fixed whatever damage they did to it…'_ Stein thought absentmindedly.

"I don't know the details, Senpai."

Spirit pushed away from the other man, staggering a bit. "Neither one of us are leaving this lab until you tell me." It was obvious that Spirit was trying to be intimidating.

Stein was silent.

Spirit glared.

"Why do you ask when you know the answer?"

"Because I want to be wrong!" Spirit exploded.

Stein took a step back as the death scythe continued. "I don't want to believe that my best friend's daughter just nearly KILLED my son!" Tears ran down the death scythe's face and he slid to the floor.

"_Why?!"_ Spirit's voice was misery.

"I wish I knew, Senpai. I don't know what caused it, but I can assure you, Elsa wasn't herself." Stein said slowly.

"_Herself or not… she nearly killed James… oh, Death…"_ Stein stood awkwardly above the man, and then knelt.

"Look, James will be fine. He held on longer than anyone else would have. He wants to live. He will."

Spirit just nodded and Stein helped the man back to his feet.

* * *

Elsa sat in her room, flitting in and out of awareness.

'_To be fair… I'm sure I'm aware even when I'm not aware…'_ She thought miserably.

There was blood underneath her nails. There was a shallow gash on her arm. And there was a huge chunk of her memory just gone. She couldn't remember. The girl screamed out into her pillow in frustration, one hand clawing briefly at her head and pulling her pigtail as she tried desperately to remember. Tears ran down her face.

"_If only I could ask James! I'm sure he could tell me exactly what is missing from my memory!"_

Something sparked briefly, and Elsa tried to grab a hold of. It was slippery, and the half-remembered image was lost. Elsa hissed again, one hand picking at the wound on her arm. She caught herself and sighed.

Time slipped away from her. One moment she looked at the clock and it was only about 6pm, the next, it was 3am. She could still feel her father's soul in the lab. She could also feel her mother's in Marie's bedroom. Spirit and Azusa's souls were downstairs in the living room?

It was then that she felt James' soul.

She reached out to it desperately, but the distance between them was too much for her to do by herself. Hopping off her bed the girl staggered to the door, and blinked in shock when she found it locked. Something slipped in her fractured psyche and Elsa screamed, her fists pounding on the door.

There were no words, just screams of desperation. She pounded on the door demandingly, anger rising. Suddenly her father's voice came from the other side of the door.

"Elsa, stop."

"LET ME OUT!" She screamed, renewing her onslaught on the door, her voice rising up into hysterical screams. She didn't even hear the click of the lock before the door was pushed open, knocking her off her feet. Her father stood, illuminated in the light. She wrapped her arms around his legs and sobbed.

"Elsa."

So there was to be no comfort for her.

She looked up reluctantly, tears on her face. "Daddy?"

"You need to come and see something." Stein moved down the hall then, and Elsa followed him until they reached the downstairs and the lab. Spirit and Azusa looked up at her as they passed. Elsa paled at the look of pure hate in both adult's eyes and tried to slip her hand into her father's. It fell when he refused to enclose her hand in his.

He locked the lab behind them. "Azusa and Spirit have every right to be mad at you, Elsa, and I am going to show you why."

Elsa trembled, her father's voice colder than she ever remembered hearing it. With hesitant steps she followed him to the far corner of the lab, where a hospital bed sat.

She hit her knees. James lay in it. The boy was pale, his chest barely moving. Oxygen tubes and wires crisscrossed over his body, and an IV was attached to both arms. He could be dead if not for the slow rise and fall of his chest. Stein grabbed Elsa by the shoulder and hauled her to her feet, the young girl desperate to not get any closer to James.

"Look at what you caused, Elsa." Stein said gently, forcing her face to look down at James. With a sudden flurry he pulled the sheets off the boy, and Elsa stared in horror at the lines of stitches crisscrossing his stomach.

"There are more inside him." Stein remarked casually, pulling a cigarette from his pocket and releasing his grip on her. "You nearly killed him. You nearly murdered the person you call your best friend." A chuckle escaped the man.

"With Sylvia gone, you have no friends now. James is going to hate you, and you deserve that hate, don't you, my little monster?"

Elsa sat upright in bed, screaming.

* * *

Marie jerked awake and rushed across the hall to Elsa's room, flinging the unlocked door open and enfolding her daughter in a huge hug.

Stein was there a few moments later and looked in at his daughter. The girl shuddered and tried to hide from him.

"Elsa?" Sobs answered his quiet question.

Marie pulled Elsa closer to her and shot Stein a death look. "Marie, I didn't do anything!"

Elsa found her voice. "I am not a monster!" She shouted at her father, anger and pain etched on her features.

"I've told you that before, Elsa…" Stein started.

"You called me a monster! You told me I had nearly killed James! You told me Sylvia was gone forever and I deserved having James hate me!" The girl broke down sobbing.

"Elsa… your father wouldn't say something like that." Marie said soothingly. Stein looked at his wife for a second.

"Marie, something does have to be said." He came to the edge of the bed, and pulled Elsa from Marie's arms. "Elsa, you did almost kill James. He's downstairs right now, barely clinging to life."

"You're a liar!" She screamed, trying to jerk from his grasp.

"Look for him, then." He said.

Elsa's eyes focused inwards and then she screamed, darting off of her bed and to the lab.

Azusa and Spirit looked up from where they were sleeping on the fold out bed that Marie had made Stein get when they heard the pounding of footsteps coming down the stairs. Only Azusa's arms kept Spirit from darting at the child to keep her from entering the lab. Stein followed a second later, catching Elsa before she could open the lab door, the girl screaming.

"I HAVE TO SEE HIM! I HAVE TO FIX IT!" She kicked her legs and Stein swung her to the side so she wouldn't accidentally clip anything *ahem* sensitive.

"Marie, get a syringe labeled Midazolam 1-B." His wife just nodded, moving quickly into the lab as Elsa continued screaming and trying to wriggle out of her father's grasp. Marie returned shortly and Stein removed the tip covering the needle and used his left hand to slide the needle underneath her sleep clothes and into her skin, injecting the sedative.

She calmed down a minute later and was unconscious less than two minutes later. Marie took her from him and he turned to Spirit and Azusa. His words were quiet, but they sent a surge of hope through the two parents, followed by guilt.

"She can save him." His voice grew grave. "But it would kill her to do it without his assistance." With that he turned and reentered the lab.

Azusa started crying, and Spirit held her until she fell asleep again.

James moaned softly, pain coursing through his body as he relived his failure.

* * *

The next morning dawned and the adults woke well before the children. Marie stumbled bleary eyed to the kitchen and started to cook for 7 before realizing that neither Sylvia nor James would be eating with them. Stein called Sid to ask for a favor, and Sid agreed to teach the class for the day.

Elsa sat in her room, refusing to leave for breakfast. She concentrated on James, just like she had the entire night, tears streaming down her face.

"Elsa?" The girl just pulled her knees up to her chest when Spirit's voice came through the door, fresh tears falling.

"Are you sure this is alright, Marie?" Azusa's voice was muffled by the door.

"It needs done..." Marie trailed off.

The door to her room opened and Elsa looked up. Spirit and Azusa stood framed in it, her parents behind them. The two walked over to her bed, and Spirit knelt in front of it.

"Elsa…" Spirit took a deep breath. "We know that you didn't hurt James on purpose. That doesn't mean that it's ok. I don't know if James is going to be able to still be your weapon partner when he recovers."

Azusa's voice cut in. "We had to report it to Lord Death, Elsa." The girl looked up to her parents, Marie clinging to Stein, her father's face impassive as Azusa continued. "He's debating now on whether or not you're going to remain in the DWMA."

Tears fell down her cheeks as the implications hit her. Marie was also crying silently into Stein's chest. The two stood then and walked past Stein and Azusa gave Marie a look of pity as she walked past. Stein felt rage grow as the woman passed him and couldn't stop from hissing out_,_ _"Elsa was not a mistake."_

Azusa just looked at him, pain painted across her features. "She wasn't for you." She said simply, and walked with her husband back downstairs. Marie, lost in her tears, heard none of the exchange. Stein followed their souls as they entered his lab and stopped beside James' soul.

* * *

The alarm woke the two girls the next morning and Nicole stood up, yawning. "I'm taking first shower, and then you should. Kiru tends to use all the hot water if I let him go first."

Sylvia nodded, not wanting to interrupt their daily ritual. It only took about thirty minutes for them all to get done getting ready and then they left for school, Sylvia nervous.

She slipped into her chibi form and around Nicole's neck, making the older girl laugh as they clambered onto Kiru's motorcycle. They rode through the streets quickly, and then dashed up the steps to the DWMA and class.

They were surprised to find that neither Marie-sensei nor Hakase Stein were present. Elsa and James were absent too, and Sylvia found out that Spirit had come in either. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, and when lunch came, she left the school grounds, not returning.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it's taken so long, I'm just really enjoying working on some other stuff, but don't worry, I'm not letting Elsa drop! :D**

**I own nothing but Elsa and James.**

**Love you all, thanks for the reviews, etc.! :3**


	38. Oderint dum Metuant

Elsa sat in her room, refusing to eat. She was also refusing to drink or even speak to anyone, her arms wrapped around her knees. Her silver hair was down and she looked dejectedly at the strands. Something sparked within her then and she stood and left her room, entering the bathroom. She quietly locked the door behind her and stood in front of the mirror, looking at her long, loose hair.

"_I just have to be more like Daddy. He can handle this without crying, without being afraid. So can I."_ With sudden determination she opened the medicine cabinet and removed a pair of surgical sheers. A maniacal grin crossed her face as she stood in the mirror and made a ragged chop in her hair.

Giggles came as she watched the hair fall to the floor- with each new strand came a new bout of giggles. Someone knocked on the door and she hushed herself, tittering quietly as she continued to cut until her hair was a short, fussy mess.

"Elsa, open the door." Her mother's voice called through. Elsa looked at the door and could see both her mother and father standing outside it.

She stepped over and unlocked the door before pulling it open, a proud grin on her face even as her eyes betrayed the madness sparking around her.

"Elsa… what did you do?" Stein asked quietly, Marie in shock.

"I'm going to be just like you," the little girl said seriously, the shears dangling from her fingertips. "I'm not going to be afraid anymore. I'm not going to be angry. I'm not going to be anything but like you, daddy." A small strand of hair fell from her shoulder and the child smiled.

"No one is going to hate me now. Not James, not Spirit-sensei or Azusa-san. Not even that asshole Kiru-san. But if they're afraid of me, that's alright, because a lot of people are afraid of you, aren't they daddy?" Elsa's sweet smile was the only thing recognizable about the emotions swirling on their daughter's face.

"And they should be afraid." Elsa's sweet smile twisted into something sadistic and cruel.

* * *

Azusa and Spirit sat in the lab with James. Azusa was holding his hand as Spirit paced the room, more nervous than he had ever been in his life.

"He can't stay her weapon partner." Spirit said finally, stopping beside his wife. "He understands what a weapon's responsibility it all too well; he's willing to give up his own life to protect her. He shouldn't have to do that to protect her from herself, damnit!"

Azusa jumped slightly as Spirit's fist slammed into his hand. In a broken voice almost too low for him to hear she whispered. _"I told Marie that Elsa was a mistake, that something from a test tube could never be the perfect little child she wanted. I warned her and now my son is fighting for life because of their abomination!"_

Spirit pulled back slightly. "Azusa, she's a little girl. She is going through the same thing that Stein did. Have you forgotten how far gone he was when we first met him? He cut me open every night just to see what I looked like inside! Elsa has _slept in the same bed_ with James and never done anything like that! She's not an abomination; she just doesn't have the control that Stein does!"

"That's your son in that bed as well as mine!" She screamed at him, turning to face him. "I know that you wish she hadn't been here to do that!"

"I would never wish that my best friend's daughter didn't exist and I can't believe that you would! Marie is your best friend! That's her daughter!" Spirit shouted back.

Azusa's voice was pure agony. "But that is our _**son.**_" She collapsed back onto the bed, sobbing. Spirit gently wrapped his arms around Azusa, pulling her close. _"I don't wish Elsa didn't exist…"_ Azusa whispered brokenly, _"I just wish that we had been able to do something to prevent it…"_

"_I know, Azusa… I know…"_ Spirit just held his sobbing wife close to him, humming **"Sun's Sweet Kiss" **underneath his breath.

* * *

Sylvia hesitated outside the door of the lab. She could smell the blood from where she stood; the scent rich and strong. She could just barely make out the souls inside; all six of them. She took several deep breaths before reaching up and doing the one thing that nearly no one did.

She knocked on the door.

The sound echoed through the lab, so strange and out of place. Stein's head jerked to the side, Elsa giggling in front of him as Marie knelt down to hold their daughter in place. Spirit and Azusa looked up from their grief, Azusa's eyes glowing as she resonated with Spirit to use Senrigan.

Two voices exclaimed at nearly the same time, "Sylvia!"

Azusa and Spirit reluctantly left James' side, and Stein came down the stairs two at a time, Marie staying with Elsa. Stein opened the door and the three adults looked at the young dragon.

Sylvia cringed underneath the glares until a smile bloomed on Spirit's face. He grabbed her up in a huge hug and carried her into the lab to sit her down on a purple couch.

"You had us so worried, Sylvia! We didn't know what had happened to you!" Spirit exclaimed, pulling the girl into yet another hug.

"I'm … I'm sorry, Spirit-sama, Azusa-sama…" She said quietly.

"It had to be traumatic, Sylvia. We understand that. You can come home, we're not angry with you." Sylvia looked up, wide-eyed at the female death scythe. Azusa tried to smile, but it was sad and obviously forced.

"I… I'm going to live with Kiru-san and Nicole-san," Sylvia said quickly, "they are my partners… most partners live together…"

Spirit and Azusa looked at each other and Stein sighed, going back upstairs to his own child. "If that's what you want, Sylvia. We don't want you unhappy. I just really hope that you'll reconsider." Spirit said gently.

Sylvia nodded and then asked a question that sent Azusa into tears. "Why do I smell so much blood? And where are James-san and Elsa-san?"

Spirit looked sadly into the lab. "Come this way."

* * *

Sylvia stared down into James' pale face, unnoticed tears plucking at the corner of her eyes. She looked over at the two adults that had taken her in, her question barely more than a whisper._ "What happened?"_

Brokenly Spirit told the story and Sylvia sat down on the side of James' bed. _"I'm so sorry…"_ Sylvia said quietly. _"With everyone going on with your little ones, you shouldn't have had to waste any time worrying about me… I'm so sorry."_

Spirit knelt in front of her. "You're our _little one_ too, Sylvia. That's why we worried about you." Azusa nodded, though her gaze remained locked on James. Sylvia just sat there quietly, conflicting emotions running through her mind.

* * *

Stein returned upstairs to find Elsa glaring at Marie. Both females looked at him in exasperation, and Stein couldn't help but laugh at how alike they looked, even with the chop job that Elsa had done on her hair.

"What?" He asked a second later.

"Franken, explain to Elsa that she can't bottle up her emotions and that having people be afraid of you isn't a good thing."

Stein shrugged. "Elsa, you can't bottle up your emotions, and having people afraid of you is not a good thing."

"Parrot." Elsa said petulantly. "It doesn't matter anyway. Once Lord Death finds out what I did, he's going to kick me out of the school anyway. Azusa-san and Spirit-sensei don't want James to be my weapon partner anyway. They're afraid of what I might do, they're afraid of me." The eleven year old smiled disturbingly. "It's better this way, isn't it?"

"No." Stein said, kneeling in front of his child. "It is not better. I never want to hear you say that again."

"I'm going to be just like you, daddy. Which means that it is better like that, because it is how you did it." Her smile was frightening as she turned and walked back into her room.

_Three Blind Mice_ drifted out of her room as she shut the door

* * *

James woke up a little bit later that night, weak but alive. Sylvia left before he did, and Elsa was once again refusing to leave her room, nursery rhymes spilling out of it until she finally fell asleep. James and his parents went home that evening.

All was quiet in the Stein household, save for a young girl singing nursery rhymes until the late morning.

In his lab, Stein twisted the screw to try to forget the tone he had heard Azusa use when speaking about Elsa. Deep inside he felt the madness stir, and for a brief time, he embraced it, allowing himself to imagine all the things that he wanted to do to the woman for wishing that his and Marie's daughter didn't exist.

* * *

**A/N: So I have decided to cut down on what I've been using as the required amount of words per chapter. I want to keep this going, and I've found that I tend to spend my entire night after I get off working on JUST the chapter for Elsa. I get no other writing done on average on the nights that I try to put out a 2500-3000 word chapter (though some have run nearly double that), so to avoid burn out, the chapters will be shorter. I don't own Soul Eater or any OCs except James and Elsa.**

**Thanks for the reviews and the PMs asking about this; I love you all.**


	39. Devotion

Elsa stood in front of Lord Death a week later with her parents. James, Azusa and Spirit stood off a little ways as the Shinigami stared at the young girl.

"Elsa, do you want to remain at the DWMA?" The being asked suddenly. The girl just looked up at her parents. Neither one of them said anything at all. "Elsa?" Lord Death prompted.

"I can't be like daddy if I don't." The girl answered quietly. "I can't make James a death scythe if I don't. I wouldn't be me if I can't. I'd be someone else… and I want to be me." The girl never looked up from her feet, scuffing them together nervously.

"Do you remember anything of what happened between you and James?" Lord Death's normally cheerful voice seemed sad.

"I… I remember walking home from school with him… we were worried about Sylvia-chan…" Elsa's voice trailed off. "I… I think we made it back home, but I'm not sure… The next thing that is clear is when I saw James on the operating table…" Tears choked the girl's voice as she continued. "I… I hurt him… I nearly killed him…"

"You know that you should not be allowed to continue here at the Academy, yes?" Lord Death asked gently.

"_I know I'm a monster."_ Elsa whispered sadly.

"Now I didn't say that, Elsa-chan." Lord Death chided. "I asked if you knew that I should expel you."

"I do…"

"I'm not going to." Elsa's head jerked up.

Azusa's reaction was involuntary. "What?!"

Lord Death looked over at Azusa for a second and then back at Elsa. "You need the training that the DWMA offers. You have a potential unmatched by anyone currently in the Academy, and few that have graduated from it. Removing you from the DWMA would be detrimental to both you and it. However, you are a probationary student from this point on. You will no longer be partnered with James-kun. You will have no weapon until such a time that your attacks are under control, and then you will find a new one. You will take no missions until then as well."

"No!" James shouted. "I'm her weapon! You can't punish her for me not keeping her safe enough!" Six surprised faces turned to the still injured boy and he pushed on. "I'm Elsa's weapon. I won't take another meister. If you're making her a probationary student, then I am too. I won't do anything except class work; I won't work with another meister. You may as well make me a N.O.T. student while you're at it!" Tears fell from behind his glasses.

Azusa hit her knees beside James and glared at him. "You're not going to get hurt again, James! Elsa's too dangerous for any weapon to partner with right now!"

"Better that I get hurt than she manages to kill herself or someone else!" He shouted into his mother's face. "Lord Death, please! You can't separate us!"

Elsa stared at the boy a quiet giggle escaping her. "You're an idiot onii-chan." She said quietly.

"And so are you, imouto. Which is why we have to work together so we're not idiots alone!" He smiled at her.

"It doesn't matter what you want." Azusa said suddenly. "A parent has the option to deny a partnership if they feel it is in the best interest of the child according to the rules. And I deny the partnership."

Spirit surprised them all. "I don't."

Azusa stared in shock at her husband. "You don't get it, Azusa. If Lord Death allows it, they should be partners. If it had been anyone else with Elsa, do you think she would have left without actually killing them? Do you think that she would have bothered going on instead of staying behind to dissect them? She's less of a threat when she's with James- and he's going to find a way around it anyway, that much is obvious, isn't it James?" The boy nodded. "The last thing the DWMA needs is a rogue meister/weapon team."

Azusa was speechless.

"I agree with Senpai." Stein said, tapping a cigarette out of the pack in his pocket and lighting it. He tossed the pack over to Spirit who caught it deftly and tapped one out, tossing the pack back to Stein. Stein exhaled a stream of smoke before continuing.

"The last time we tried to separate them after one of them had been injured they ran away from home. It's more dangerous for them to be apart than together." Marie looked questioningly at her husband and he reached out to touch her shoulder.

"Hmmmm…." Lord Death said, tilting his head to the side as he thought. "Well, we can't continue on as if nothing has happened." With a sudden hop he snapped his oversized fingers together. "I know what we'll do! Both of you will be in a soul debt! Yep! You'll have to collect… oh, 50 extra souls, then you can start working on making him a death scythe."

"What if she has another episode and attacks him again!" Azusa demanded. "She could kill him!"

"Hmmmm…. Well, we'll just have to have them monitored on their missions for a while! That'll do the trick! Alright! You're all dismissed!" He said cheerfully.

No one moved, shock evident on all of their faces. "Go on, shoo!" Lord Death said. Slowly, the 6 dispersed.

* * *

Azusa slammed the door once they arrived home, the events of the last week taking a heavy toll on the woman. "How could you suggest that James stayed partnered with Elsa?! She's going to get him killed! He's our only son and you want to send him back to that monst-" Azusa's tirade was cut short as Spirit wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers. She struggled against him, but Spirit was stronger and refused to break the kiss, holding her until the anger drained out of the death scythe and turned to sobs. He broke the kiss then, holding her to his chest.

"Azusa, you have to understand. Elsa needs James. We all hoped that they would be compatible, and when they were we started them training early. Their souls have grown so used to each other that taking one away from the other weakens them both." He said gently. "Elsa fell into the worst attack she has ever had the one time that James was separated from her. I know that she caused that, but she was still in control of herself enough to not kill him. With some training, he'll never be in that situation again; he'll be able to subdue her, to knock her out quickly."

"We're sending him into danger, Spirit…" The woman sobbed against his chest.

"We always knew we were, Azusa, just by sending him to the DWMA. It's good that he learns to deal with it now instead of on the battlefield." She just nodded, accepting it as a fact even if she desperately wanted to change that fact.

* * *

Elsa sat in her room, relief running through her even as she sobbed. She kept running her hands through her choppy hair, shaking her head as she felt just how short it was.

"_It's more like daddy's now."_ A voice whispered to her. _"And you know that you have to be more like daddy or you'll hurt James again. You might even kill him this time."_

"I'm not going to hurt James again!" Elsa shouted at the voice, her eyes clenched shut as she pulled at her short hair.

"_That's why you have to be more like daddy." _The voice whispered, a giggle in it_. "And what does daddy have that you don't?"_

Elsa's eyes flew open and lit up. "You're right!. Daddy has something that I don't." Her voice rose up into a giggle.

"_He has his screw." _Elsa whispered to herself.

Listening to Elsa's conversation with herself on the other side of the door Marie and Stein looked at each other. Stein turned and walked swiftly to the lab, reinforcing the lock and adding some additional security.

* * *

**A/N: So, the angst should be over in the next chapter or the one after. I haven't forgotten about the other OCs! Don't worry; they will make a reappearance soon. Again, poll is up on my profile, want to know your favorite OCs!**

**Thanks guys, for continuing to read even though I've started updating later so I can do some other stories as well. I really appreciate everything, love you all.**

**I don't own Soul Eater!**


	40. Placebo

Some part of Elsa knew that this was a bad idea. That sneaking into her daddy's lab in the middle of the night and doing something would get her into a lot of trouble. She remembered from long ago how angry he had been at her for doing something like this, and the sane part of her mind clung to that, fighting to keep her from walking down the stairs at 3am, and pushing on the lab door.

But it was necessary. She had to do this.

'_It's for James. It's for everyone. I have to be more like daddy.'_ The girl giggled; a smile ghosting across her face before she saw her father's glow inside the lab. _'No, it's not a glow. I'm not a baby. It's his soul.'_ Another series of giggles spilled from her.

She pushed her hand against the lab door again, and it didn't swing open. She channeled her wavelength into the metal door, expecting the lock to open like it had last time, and pushed again. It still didn't open. Something was blocking it. Anger flooded through her, and Elsa slammed her hand against the door, a scream tearing through the night.

Stein jerked awake in his lab chair. He stood and moved to in front of the lab door, "Yes, Elsa?"

His daughter's eyes were wild as she looked up at him, her short hair matted to the sides of her face by sweat and tears. "I have to be like you!" She screamed through the door to him as Marie came down the stairs.

Stein opened the door and stepped out as Marie wrapped her arms around the sobbing child. Gently pulling her from Marie's arms Stein looked straight into their daughter's face.

"You don't want to be like me, Elsa," he said gently. "Be like your mother. You don't want to emulate someone who is good at catching himself when he falls, emulate someone who doesn't fall."

Elsa stared at him. "I. Don't. Want. To. Be. Like. Her!" The last word crescendoed into a scream and Stein watched as his daughter's soul tried to warp. It was quickly suppressed, but Stein had seen it. Wide eyed he looked deeper into his daughter's fragile soul and shook his head.

Elsa was a weapon. _'How could we have missed that?'_ He wondered in shock. _'Simply… she is a meister, and she's never transformed that we know of. It's hard to tell a weapon just by looking at their soul, and if I hadn't seen the familiar warping of it I still wouldn't know.'_

Stein looked up at his wife and decided then and there that if Elsa refused to accept it, he wouldn't bring up the subject until she was ready. In her current mental state, there was no telling what it could do to her. Marie looked down at him in concern. Elsa was sobbing on her knees now, her hands fiddling with her hair.

An idea suddenly clicked in Stein's head, and he smirked. "I have something that will help you, Elsa." The girl watched as her father reentered the lab and came out a few long minutes later holding a bottle of pills.

"If you take one of these each day, it will help suppress the madness," he said quietly, his eyes meeting Marie's questioning one.

Elsa's eyes lit up. "Do you?"

Stein just nodded, handing the bottle of pills to Marie, his thumb moving at the last possible second so that she could see the word written carefully on the bottom side of it in black ink.

'_Placebo'_

"Alright, I will daddy!" Elsa smiled up at him.

"Your mother will give you one each morning with breakfast, is that alright, Elsa?" She nodded enthusiastically.

* * *

The two children returned to classes a few days later. Elsa was happy and reserved; the madness apparently at bay. Nicole and Kiru kept their distance from Elsa though. Sylvia served as an intermediary between them.

"Elsa-san, you need to apologize to Kiru-san for what you did." Sylvia said quietly to the girl before class started.

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything to him." Elsa looked incredibly confused. Stein looked up from where he was sitting waiting on the bell to ring.

Sylvia looked around, wondering how many people knew what had actually happened and leaned in to speak quietly to the girl. Elsa's face turned pale and she stood up, rushing out of the room. Stein glared at Sylvia and the young dragon's face paled. James followed Elsa a second later.

The bell rang, and Elsa and James still hadn't returned. Stein took attendance and forced himself not to pace, wondering where his child and her weapon had gone to. They weren't within the range of his soul perception and Marie was gone for the day, on a personal mission from Lord Death. Stein began his lesson, noting that it seemed that the rest of the pairings had all recovered from their missions and were present for class.

James and Elsa still hadn't returned to class by the time that the bells had rung for lunch. Stein strode through the halls of the DWMA, searching for their wavelengths, and ended up passing by reception.

"Excuse me? Hakase Stein?" A woman called out to him. Stein turned to see the lady from reception waving at him.

"Is there something I can do for you? I'm quite busy at the moment." Stein said briskly.

"Actually, I have something for you. I figured you'd want to know about it, seeing as Elsa's your daughter. She and her weapon came out from class and took a mission. They left right after." The woman handed him the copy of the mission.

Stein glanced down at it. Walking back to his classroom he scrawled out a note and left.

"_Classes canceled. Get a mission. Go do it."_

* * *

Elsa stood beside James, staring down at the chasm below them. Giggles flitted out of her mouth as she imagined jumping down into it, wondering how her bones would break and what they would look like when they did. James stood beside her though, and she knew that she wouldn't, even though the curiosity was strong. The prekishin egg they were hunting was in the center of the chasm, chewing on something.

Neither child could see what it was eating, but the strings of red connecting it to the mangled mass in front of it, coupled with the brightly glowing soul that both could still see, confirmed that it was more than likely someone instead of something.

James shuddered and Elsa held her arm out to him. In a second she was holding the weapon and sliding carefully down the embankment.

"_This is number 1, James. Only 49 after this until we prove that we are capable." _Elsa's voice was bitter and James just sighed.

"_They know that we're capable, Elsa. They're just making sure that we're ready for this." _He thought quietly.

The voice in his mind suddenly rose to giggles, and with a scream Elsa launched herself at the creature.

It no longer looked human. The teeth were long and sharp, its skull twisted out of proportion into something oblong rather than rounded. The eyes were two black pits and its long tongue had smeared red blood along its chest. It seemed surprised by the sudden noise and Elsa slammed into it, knocking it away from the still hovering soul. Her wavelength slammed into it even as she drug James' blade up its side.

Clawed hands raked down Elsa's side as they parted. _"Elsa, I'm a GUN!"_ James screamed in her mind, "_Keep your distance from the damn thing!"_ James felt it then as the giggles became louder in his mind.

He wasn't talking to Elsa anymore.

Elsa slammed into the creature again, burying James' blade in its side even as claws gashed open the old scar on her leg. Another scream and she released her wavelength into the creature. Both combatants flew backwards. James did the only thing he could think of. He forced resonance with Elsa, and the girl's body froze.

_James grabbed Elsa's shoulders, forcing her to stare at him. The girl was looking through him, and he brought his hand across her face, snapping her head to the side. _

"_Pay attention, Elsa! You're going to get us killed!" He screamed at her. There was no time to be polite or pleasant. "If these keeps up I WILL leave you as your partner."_

_Her eyes focused and she glared at him. James just smirked._

"_That's better. We have a prekishin to dispose of."_

Stein arrived just in time to see Elsa freeze for a second and then dart back and away from the creature. He watched as his daughter kept her distance from the prekishin, firing shots off as necessary, never entering melee range. He also watched as she stumbled and fell, the wounds to her side and legs becoming too much for her to handle.

He darted forward, hoping to reach her in time when a pale boy with a weapon on each arm was suddenly in front of her. The spear jabbed into the prekishin's throat as the other weapon took human form, fire erupting around it.

* * *

**A/N: Yes… she fought it off with his help :D Cliffhanger ftw :3**

**Thanks for the reviews, etc. Love you all!**

**I don't own Soul Eater or anything other than the plot and James/Elsa.**


	41. Reunion

James caught Elsa as she collapsed, supporting his meister even as he looked around desperately for a way to get out of the situation.

'_We're going to die here.'_ He thought suddenly, bracing himself for the impact he knew was coming as he darted in front of Elsa, blocking the prekishin's path to her.

It never came. James opened his eyes as he felt a searing heat erupt near him, his eyes going wide.

Sylvia, Kiru and Nicole stood in between the prekishin and him and Elsa. Nicole was in weapon form, piercing the prekishin's throat. James watched as Kiru withdrew Nicole with a flourish and the prekishin erupted again in flames, the creature screaming in agony. The trio split apart as the thing barreled forward and James covered Elsa's body with his own.

A figure in white slammed into the prekishin an instant before it hit the boy, even as the other teens were regrouping to try to come to their aid again. A bright light surged over the thing and a moment later a mottled red soul was floating in the air.

"Hakase Stein!" James was obviously in shock. His eyes were wide behind his glasses and he started to shake. "Elsa's not breathing!"

* * *

Melody yawned and stretched. She sat with Avalon, Artemis and Trevor at the Dethbucks near the school, all of them having taken a mission that required them to leave the city.

"It will be nice to go see some place new again," she said, her French accent slurring the worlds together slightly in a lilting way. Avalon just nodded from beside her. "I am becoming bored of the same sights each day. Though, it is a lovely place here."

Artemis nodded. "Yeah, it'll be nice to get away from school for a while, even though it's only been a few weeks. And this time Trevor and I should get to keep the soul we collect!" The girl sighed, memories of her recent failure to protect her meister still fresh in her mind. Trevor just put his hand over hers briefly, causing the girl to blush scarlet.

"Are you all healed up from your last mission, Trevor?" Avalon asked quietly, staring at the other boy.

"Nurse Nygus assures me that the scars will fade and that the poison has completely worked its way out of my system. Artemis and I should be fine for this mission." Trevor said as he nodded.

"C'est bien!" Melody exclaimed with a smile. Artemis and Trevor looked at her questioningly.

"That's great." Avalon translated for them. Artemis and Trevor smiled.

Someone clearing their throat made the four teens look up. Valquez stood beside the table, Ren hovering at his elbow. "Mind if we sit with you?" The four looked at each other and just shrugged.

"Go on, sit." Trevor said.

Val sat at the table with Ren right beside him. A waitress came over and asked what they wanted. "Water." Val ordered, Ren nodding her agreement.

"Any food?" The waitress asked, tapping her pencil against the order book.

"Fries," Ren said suddenly. Val chuckled.

"You want anything other than fries, Ren?" He asked her and she shook her head. "Just give us a number 4 then. Well done for the burger, and bring a lemonade since it comes with a drink." Ren smiled when Val ordered the lemonade.

"So, do you two have a good mission?" Trevor asked, leaning back in his chair. He could feel the scar on his arm pulling tightly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"It shouldn't be difficult. It's here in Death City, but we'll have to get into the sewer system, so it may be a bit tricky with the lighting and maneuvering." Val explained. "What about your two teams?"

"Avy and I are heading to a small town in Nebraska. There is a prekishin out there that is apparently terrorizing some farmers. It should be très facile!" Melody smiled brightly.

"Simple or easy." Avalon said quietly, a smile pulling at his lips as Melody blushed. The gathered teens all laughed or smirked.

"What about you two? You said you were leaving the city as well, n'est-ce pas?" Melody asked Artemis.

"We're actually heading to Cali! There's a prekishin there that seems to be drowning people before devouring their souls, so it looks like Trev and I can do some surfing once we finish!"

"I doubt that, Artemis, we-" Trevor started when Melody interrupted him.

"That sounds like so much fun, Artemis! You must take images for me!" Melody said brightly.

Avalon chuckled, tapping Melody's shoulder. The girl leaned over and he whispered in her ear; she blushed. "Pictures, oui."

"Of course we will!" Artemis said, laughing. Trevor just shook his head.

* * *

Chloe and Zane both shook their head as they looked at the group of students sitting at the local Dethbucks.

"They're wasting their time. If they chose a mission that didn't occur at night or near here the least they could do is train a bit or take a mission here to fill the time in before." Zane said scathingly and Chloe just nodded.

"Our mission is waiting on us, Zane." The boy just nodded, following Chloe as she darted away from the teens enjoying their time.

* * *

James had been wrong, Elsa was breathing; it was just weakly. Stein carried his daughter back to the lab and sighed.

"What went wrong, James?" The scientist asked, laying his daughter on an operating table. "You two knew that you were supposed to be supervised while on missions. How did you let her talk you into going on one without any supervision?"

James was silent. The other three teens looked at him questioningly. "James?"

"You know how she is. It was either I went with her or she was going by herself. I couldn't risk letting her get herself killed because I refused to go. She darted off so fast after getting the mission slip that the only thing I could do was give a copy of it to the lady in reception before having to chase her down. Elsa is fast!" James said in a rush.

"The four of you should leave. I'm sure Elsa wouldn't appreciate you all seeing her in this state, and I doubt that any of you want to see me stitching her wounds closed."

The four left the work lab and collapsed on the couches and chairs in the living area.

James looked at the other three. "How did you know where we were? I knew the lady in reception would give Hakase Stein the note, but how did the three of you know?"

"Blame the dragon." Kiru said nonchalantly. "Sylvia there said that we had better follow you two. Not that I thought doing so was a good idea after last time." Nicole slapped Kiru in the back of the head, the dhampir's neck cracking slightly. He rubbed it while glaring at the girl.

"Elsa-san didn't seem to be herself." Sylvia said quietly. "She seemed to be very upset when she left the classroom and I was responsible for it. I had to have help catching up with you two, so Kiru-san and Nicole-san came with me."

"You were willing to help her even after what she did?" James asked incredulously.

Sylvia took a deep breath. "I… you and Elsa-san were my first and only friends once I came here, James-san. I would like to hope that even after what I said you still are."

James surprised the dragon by wrapping her in a huge hug. "Of course we are, Sylvia! Elsa was incredibly upset when you disappeared on us."

Sylvia's face fell at that. "Sylvia?" James asked.

"Then your wound and Kiru-san's wound were because of me?" She asked in a soft voice.

Both boys looked at each other. "No." Nicole laughed as they both answered at the same time. James continued, "You didn't cause our wounds. It was simply bad luck, Elsa wouldn't have willingly hurt either of us, except she had an attack and no one was there for her when it happened."

"Yeah, little dragon. You said your friend was fine every other time, especially when her bro was around." Kiru added. "She just went off the deep end, not your fault."

Sylvia was quiet, and silence fell over the four. It remained for a long moment before Nicole broke it.

"So, who knows which room is Elsa's? I'm sure she's not going to feel up to doing anything and while the doc's working on her we could take the time to make sure it's all neat and ready for her!" Her bubbly demeanor made James smile and Sylvia nodded. Kiru just sighed and leaned his head back against the couch.

"_I do not want to clean the little twerp's room."_ He muttered low enough that only Nicole could hear it.

"_Get over it, Kiru-kun," _she muttered as she stood to follow James and Sylvia upstairs, _"your little girlfriend there is worried and this is going to get her mind off of it."_

Kiru all but growled as he lurched to his feet. _"She is not, and I don't need your advice if I wanted her to be!"_

Nicole's laughter echoed up the hallway.

* * *

**A/N: ^_^ I missed the other OCs! Aaannnnddd we should be past the angst for a bit! :D Love you all, thanks for all the support. **

**Kiru-kun, Sylvia-chan, and Nicole-chan belong to PrimordialTime (Fall Into EverLasting Darkness)**

**Melody and Avalon belong to TheAUWalker**

**Ren and Valquez belong to Eive-kun**

**Artemis and Trevor belong to greek**

**Chloe and Zane belong to cj**

**Thanks for letting me borrow them!**

**I don't own Soul Eater, either. **


	42. Time Skips a Beat or Four

The four individuals looked around Elsa's room.

"Um, I don't think that Elsa needs us to clean it for her. Or do anything; for that matter." James looked around the sterile looking room. The last time he had been in her room there had been pictures on the walls, splashes of yellow everywhere. Now none of that remained.

"What type of person lives in a room like this? Definitely no one normal…" Kiru muttered underneath his breath. Nicole heard him though and slapped the back of his head.

James was ignoring them all, and had started digging through Elsa's closet. With a cry of triumph he pulled a box out of the very back and opened it to find the pictures that he remembered seeing all over her room. "Here we go!" He shouted, setting the box down in the middle of the room. "Let's put these back up."

The other three looked at him. "What if Elsa-san doesn't want them up? She did take the down, James-san."

James adjusted his glasses, the light glinting off of them as he smirked. "I don't care if Elsa wants them up or not. She needs them up. Everything's been so messed up with her recently, she needs something normal."

"_That's an understatement."_ Nicole slapped the back of Kiru's head again. The boy just glared at her.

James looked stumped for a second before grinning. Darting out of the room and back downstairs he returned a moment later with a hammer and some nails. Thirty minutes later the room was covered in the posters and pictures again, placed to the best of James' memory.

He went digging back in her closet then and pulled out a bright yellow comforter that he grinned as he flipped onto the bed. Stepping back he looked at the room.

"It's definitely better." Nicole said smiling.

"I'm sure Elsa will be much happier." James said, confident of his decision to redo her room.

* * *

Elsa woke up much later and was immediately aware of the yellow that was drowning her, the staring eyes glaring down at her, at the intrusion into her sterile place of solitude. Her scream tore through the lab briefly before she clenched her eyes shut, desperately throwing the blanket off of herself and hitting the floor.

Stein found her cowering underneath the bed. She refused to come out, and he could see the fear in her soul.

"Elsa, come out," Marie's voice called to the girl and she just shook her head, flattening herself against the wall.

"Why not, Elsa?" Stein asked quietly.

"Someone's been in my room. They changed everything. It's not right. It's wrong. Daddy, you have to fix it back." Tears were glistening in her eyes.

"Your room looks normal, Elsa. Some of the pictures were rearranged, but other than that it looks like it always does." Marie argued for a moment.

"What did they change?"

"The pictures! They put them all up! They changed my blanket! They changed it all!"

"Come here, Elsa." Stein said, his voice quiet but broking no argument. Elsa slid out from under the bed and he scooped her up, carrying her on his side. He stepped across the hall and opened his and Marie's bedroom door. "There are pictures on our walls, and your mother has a green comforter on our bed. There's nothing wrong with your room."

Elsa looked around her parents room wide eyed.

"Better, Elsa?" Stein asked quietly. The girl nodded. "Now then, back to bed, alright? And this time, stay in it."

Elsa nodded and crawled into her bed when her father sat her down on it, snuggling underneath the yellow comforter.

"Mother?" Elsa called out quietly before the two left.

"Yes, Elsa?" Marie said, smiling.

"Yellow's my favorite color."

"Mine too, Elsa." Marie said with a content smile on her face as she closed the door.

* * *

The next day found Elsa back in class. Stein had reluctantly agreed to it, Marie had fought against the decision, but ultimately bowed to Stein's opinion. Elsa was a model student that day, and continued to be for the next couple of weeks. Between the two of them, with supervision, she and James collected three souls during that time. The other teams all began to collect souls as well, and everything was going smoothly.

The weeks turned to months and Elsa continued taking the placebo. It seemed to be helping immensely, even though both Marie and Stein knew the effect was all in Elsa's head. They never told James, knowing that if he knew, so would Elsa.

The months passed to years, and before anyone realized it, four had passed.

* * *

It was their last year in Shibusen. Elsa was now almost 16, James 18 and Sylvia 17. Due to a family emergency Nicole had had to leave school for most of a year and Kiru went with her, taking care of family issues. During that time, Sylvia had briefly lived with Elsa and James. All of the teams were well on their way to creating Death Scythes, with Elsa and James in the lead at 89 collected souls (after paying off their soul debt of 50).

This morning found all of them standing in a classroom, watching as Professor Stein gave a lecture on the differences between death scythes and regular weapons.

"Form manipulation in one of the most obvious benefits of being a death scythe." Stein was saying.

Some first year students were snickering in the back of the class, and Elsa turned to shoot them a frosty glare. They froze underneath her stare and went quiet.

"Now, I understand that at the moment this is a mixed class with everything from first years to last years, but I will have all of you paying attention. In a week the classes will be splitting again. Some of you will be remaining in my class; some will be going to the new class. Until then, just pay attention. Alright?" Stein asked the class and everyone nodded.

Elsa sighed, leaning back in her chair and waiting for her father to get to something that was actually interesting for the fourth years. It came earlier than she had anticipated.

"Alright, fourth years, you're dismissed. Lord Death wants to see all of you."

Eleven students stood and made their way out of the classroom. About thirty remained afterwards and Stein sighed. Most of the EAT class had downgraded to NOT between the third and fourth years; no one could explain it, not even the students, but he had lost half his class to it.

* * *

"Well hello everyone! How are you all doing?!" Lord Death hopped backwards as the last of the students filed in. Murmured greetings and answered reached him before he continued on. "I'm glad you all could make it. You represent the very best that the academy has right now. I know you're all looking forward to graduating this year, and you've earned it!"

He clapped his hands together. "Which is why I have a bit of a contest for all of you! I know that all of you are well on your ways to forging a death scythe, and I'm going to make it a special occasion for the first group that does! Not only will the weapon become a death scythe, but the meister will be granted the rank of two star!"

"Aren't meisters generally granted two stars upon completion of a death scythe?" Valquez asked from the back of the group.

"Up until recently, yes. However, we've been seeing more and more inexperienced meister and weapon teams become death scythes due to the weakness of the prekishins they've had to hunt, so that will no longer be the case!"

"Shouldn't be much of a contest. No offense, guys. James and I are just ten souls and one witch away."

"Ah, that leads me to the next point. Mistakes will cost you souls. That's all!" Lord Death clapped his hands together.

The group turned to leave them, and as they did Ren whispered quietly to Val, "Why do I feel like we're playing in a game?"

"Because I believe we are and the rules just changed."

* * *

**A/N: I know… time skip. Sorry for not wanting to write out those four years, just have plans for the present time frame. Thanks for reading, love you all! **

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	43. One Little Mistake

Elsa sighed. Today was yet another day that they had to share with the first through third years, and to make it worse, today was an evaluation day. She changed into her gym clothes and stepped out into the yard with the rest of the females in the class.

Murmurs ran through the crowd as she did. She was well aware that her bodily proportions were above average- but that wasn't what they were talking about. She could hear the whispers even from where she stood with Sylvia, Ren, Melody and Artemis. Each pointed finger, each hushed whisper infuriated the girl and she stood still trembling.

"Elsa?" Melody's lilting French accent called her name and the silver haired girl turned to look at her. Melody smile lit up her face. "Ignore the swine. They are simply jealous they are not as beautiful as toi, even with your scars, you surpass all of them."

"My scars are mine." Elsa said harshly. "They don't need to be mentioning them."

"Elsa-san, someone always will." Sylvia reasoned.

"Don't be so sensitive, you're just giving them what they want." Artemis chimed in, Ren shying back a bit from the angry meister.

Unfortunately, the girls' words of advice fell on deaf ears as a first year student boldly approached the tall fourth year. She looked up nervously into Elsa's face and, faltering, spit out what she had come to say.

"How'd you get those atrocious scars on your legs? What about the ones on your arms?" While hesitant, the girl's voice was prissy, haughty.

Elsa reacted violently. The girl (a weapon) was flung backwards by the severity of the hit, Elsa's wavelength crackling gently around her clenched fist. In a voice just loud enough for the girl to hear Elsa called out lowly, "I got them fighting a witch. Care to test me?"

The other girl's eyes went wide and she backed away quickly. Soon there was a wide berth given to the small group. Sid just shook his head, but as no fight had actually erupted he let it go.

"Alright, class. Hakase Stein and Marie-sensei won't be in attendance today. We will be doing dead runs, high jumps, that sort of thing. You'll be timed and scored. Any questions?" Sid said, looking around.

A first year spoke up, "How is it fair that we're competing against people like her?" She asked, pointing directly at Elsa. "Or any of the other fourth years?"

"This isn't a competition. You're being scored for your own betterment, not to see who is the best. I'm not pitting you against each other, that's not the type of man I was." Elsa giggled slightly and Sid looked over at her briefly. "Alright, let's go then."

The rest of the afternoon was spent in grueling athletic displays underneath the overly zealous sun. All of the students were drenched in sweat when Sid finally announced a break. A few minutes later the scores were tallied and posted.

Elsa was on top, which wasn't a surprise. Melody and Artemis took second and third, while Ren and Sylvia shared a tied score for fifth. The boys section went as smoothly as the girls had. James and Val tied for the top spot, Avalon took third and Trevor took fourth. Kiru and Nicole were both absent from school, and as such would have to do personal make up sessions with Sid.

After showering the class met up again and loitered around talking.

"Kiru and Nicole went on a mission without you, Syl?" James asked, leaning against the wall.

"Nicole-san is three souls behind me, and Kiru-san is hoping to even the count. I believe he intends to make us both death scythes at around the same time." Sylvia answered.

"That's awesome; you all are close, aren't you?"

"I have 67 souls, Nicole-san has 64. It's not as close as you and Elsa, but we're getting there." Sylvia said with a slight smirk.

"We'll still beat you, Syl-chan." Elsa grinned from beside James. "Nothing is going to stop us from making James a death scythe before graduation." James chuckled as he slipped his arm around Elsa's waist.

"We'll see, Elsa-san."

* * *

James and Elsa darted through the darkened streets, the residents of this small town having been ordered to evacuate days earlier. Elsa still caught glimpses of souls around her, though, accounting for why the prekishin in this area hadn't left.

"James!" Elsa shouted suddenly, skidding on the cobbled road.

A monster strode into the middle of the road in front of her as James jumped towards her, transforming as she caught him cleanly. The beast was tall and lanky, its long arms hanging almost to its feet. What had to be cutlery was strapped to each finger and Elsa smirked as she saw that at least two of the fingers had spoons attached to them.

"Matthew Bishop? Long time no see. I'm going to take your soul now. And I'm going to enjoy it." Elsa grinned like a maniac as she darted at the thing.

"Weakling." He growled at her as she slashed him with James' blade before back flipping away and unleashing a volley of shots that staggered the creature.

"You're still the same." Elsa hissed out. "I should've had my father cut you into little pieces all those years ago. Would have saved us the hassle now." She caught a glimpse of a soul to her left and attempted to draw the thing away, but the reckless soul came running right at it.

What was left of Matthew Bishop turned and looked at the much easier prey. A hoarse laugh escaped him even as Elsa switched direction and slammed into him.

"Not better than me!" He hissed as he slammed the side of his hand into Elsa. It was then that she saw that while there was cutlery strapped to the outsides of his fingers, there was what looked like a grenade strapped to the inside of each one. "Smarty pants die now! I eat!"

"James, protect that soul!" She screamed as the hand descended on her with a blinding flash as she threw James.

The boy ignored her, transforming in midair and catching her hand, tugging her away from the prekishin as the explosion hit, shielding her body was his own. The last thing she heard was a child's scream of pain and fear before it cut off abruptly.

* * *

Elsa opened her eyes to the infirmary of the DWMA. Her father was looking down at her, and she was quite sore. James stood at her other side, near the window. She dutifully held her eyes open as Stein checked her over, shining lights in her eyes, pressing on her sides. He glared at James as he left, but Elsa could sense that the glare wasn't as angry as it could have been.

"I have bad news, Elsa…" James said as she sat up. "Lord Death… he took half of our collected souls because of what happened."

She stopped and turned to look at him. "What?" The girl's tone was icy.

"We were penalized for the civilian that died." James said quietly. Elsa stood unsteadily to her feet and walked over to him.

James' face snapped to the side as Elsa slapped him as hard as she could, barely concealed anger radiating from her. "I told you, James! I told you to protect the soul that had stumbled onto us! If you had done what I told you, we wouldn't be stuck collecting enough souls to make TWO death scythes!"

With a slight stumble the girl turned her back on him, anger running through her being. "I'm done, James."

She left the infirmary then, leaving a very confused weapon with her hand print on his face behind her.

* * *

**A/N: Our next chapter will be a fun one. Partying, fluff, etc. I'll try not to let so much time pass between this one and that.**

**I don't own Soul Eater or any OC except Elsa and James.**


	44. The Vault

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Within a sea of people a silver-haired girl's body twisted and contorted with the beat of the bass, her eyes closed even as she saw everyone around her. A dark haired, purple eyed girl stood nervously to the side, the only one of the silver-haired girl's friends who had willingly accompanied her to this place.

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

Elsa's body was covered in sweat, her neon orange tank top and frayed blue jean shorts not enough to keep her cool as a small crowd of people gathered around her, watching the girl dance. A few male teens sat against the wall behind her, the reason why she was given a wide berth. Each one had made the mistake of touching her and been slammed there by the girl's wavelength; the same wavelength that was now dancing around her in time to the music.

_Thump. Tha-thump thump._

With a shuddering chord the current song finished and Elsa opened her eyes, breathing hard. A smile played across the teen's face as Sylvia hesitantly approached her.

"Elsa-san, I think we should go home. It's nearly 2am and I'm sure that James is worried sick about you." Sylvia said, touching her friend's shoulder. Elsa shied away from the touch.

"I'm not going back to the apartment. I'm going to stay here until I'm exhausted and then I'm going _home._" Elsa said petulantly.

Sylvia started to reply and the music started up again. Elsa closed her eyes, shutting out the world as she let her body sway to the music, twisting and jerking with it as her wavelength sprung to life again. A brave boy, in all honesty probably a man, approached the teen and sat his hand lightly on her shoulder. Elsa's wavelength rushed through him, knocking him backwards even as her crowd of watchers parted to let him fly through.

A cheer went up as he did, and Elsa's face twisted into a sadistic grin, a series of high pitched giggles escaping her before being cut off suddenly as she surrendered to the music instead of the madness that was coursing, barely checked, behind her closed eyes.

* * *

*knock, knock, knock*

Stein looked up from the experiment that he was working on and checked the time. 1:30am. Grumbling the scientist stood, leaving his scalpel lying beside the partially dissected animal and peeled off his protective gloves. Washing his hands as the knocking started again he shook his head, cursing whoever it was that had the audacity to come at this time of night.

In a foul mood the interrupted scientist strode to the front door and undid the lock, flinging it open. Stein's face was an impassive mask despite the anger at the interruption that was raging behind it. Some of the rage evaporated when he saw the person standing on the other side of the door.

"Hakase Stein… is Elsa here?" James asked nervously, staring up at the taller man, even if it was just a few inches now.

Stein adjusted his glasses. "No."

James looked crestfallen and turned to leave.

"James, I'm not stupid. You knew she wasn't here. You probably even know where she actually is. Why come?"

"Because I wanted to be wrong." James said simply, stopping a few feet from the door and turning to look at the scientist. He adjusted his gakuran slightly as he looked at the man.

"She left you." Stein drawled out, realization dawning on him. "After what happened, she blamed you and left you, even though the action saved her life."

James just nodded. "She said she was done and left. I stood there, shocked, and by the time I went to follow her she was gone."

"Have you called her?"

"It goes to voicemail."

Stein smirked. "Then you should give her space." The scientist turned to go back in before calling over his shoulder, "Either that, or you should go get her. You know Elsa, you make the choice. She takes after me though, so don't blame me if you end up dissected."

The metal doors swung shut and James took a deep breath to steady himself before leaving the lab.

* * *

"_I'm going out." Elsa had said to the other girls. "I'm done with James. I'm tired of all the mistakes. We've already gathered enough souls to make him a death scythe, but we're still less than halfway there in actuality! Who's going to come with me?"_

_They all looked at each other. "Come where, Elsa?" Melody said quietly._

_A wicked grin crossed the girl's face. "To The Vault."_

_Melody and Ren's faces paled. __Je… je ne voudrais pas aller avec toi." __Melody said hesitantly. Ren just nodded._

"_And why won't you go with me?" Elsa asked, tilting her head to the side._

"_Too loud. Too many people. I… je n'aime pas." Melody shuddered slightly. _

_Ren nodded. "I'm sorry, Elsa. I can't do the night club scene either…" she said, her voice low and quiet._

"_Artemis? Chloe?" Elsa said, turning to look at them. Both girls shrugged._

"_Zane and I are going on another mission tonight." Chloe said dismissively. "We have death scythes to make instead of slacking." Elsa's fists balled up and Artemis stepped between the two._

"_I can't either, Elsa. Some of us aren't the aces in class that you are and finals are coming up. Trevor and I are going to do some cramming."_

_Elsa just shook her head, running her hands through her short cropped silver hair. "Sylvia?"_

"_Don't worry, Elsa-san. I won't let you go alone." Sylvia said, though her voice betrayed her desire to stay. _

"_Thanks onee-chan!" A grin split Elsa's face as she slipped her arm through Sylvia's. "At least I know who my true friends are." Elsa said, her voice just shy of being spiteful as they left._

* * *

Sylvia sighed as she watched Elsa dance. A pair of arms encircling her waist caused her to jump even as they pulled her back against someone's chest. In the huge crowd of people the young dragon hadn't even noticed Kiru's stealthy approach.

He nipped slightly at her neck and Sylvia blushed. "Kiru-san, what are you doing here?" She asked questioningly.

"I brought him." Kiru said, jerking his head to the side. James stood just to their left, watching Elsa dance.

_Thump-tha-thump-tha-thump._

Elsa's body swayed and James forced himself to think of other things. He took a step forward and one of the other guys in the crowd caught his arm.

"I wouldn't do that. She's made quite a fool out of everyone who gets close to her!" He yelled over the music.

Kiru chuckled as Nicole stepped into place beside them. "So I see she's having fun." Nicole said lightly, a laugh tingeing the words that could barely be heard over the music. "I bet she gives it to James-kun. Kiru-kun said that he'd take James back home once Elsa rejects him."

The girl slipped past them then, and through the circle of people. Someone in the crowd shouted, "Hey, let's see what she does with a girl!" To a chorus of laughs and jeers.

Nicole stopped about a foot away from Elsa, matching her moves and shouted, "Hey, Elsa-chan!"

Elsa looked up and saw Nicole, a grin splitting her face. "Nicole-chan! Great beat, neh?"

"The best!" Nicole spun a bit before darting in close to Elsa. Elsa's wavelength died away immediately, the flickering lightshow stopping. Whatever she whispered in Elsa's ear caused the girl to spin suddenly and stare at James.

She stalked over to him and stood glaring at him. Somehow standing 6'2" and being a good 4 inches taller than Elsa still made it feel like she was looking down at him. Anger radiated from her being.

"I thought I told you I was done, James," the irate teen hissed out.

James took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not, Elsa." He moved before she could react and wrapped his arms around her, tilting her backwards into a kiss.

Elsa's eyes were wide as the crowd that had been watching her dance laughed, cheered and catcalled. Kiru chuckled and in a flash had carried Sylvia off through the shadows. Nicole clapped, laughing.

When James broke the kiss Elsa was glaring up at him, though he could feel the anger evaporating. Even her next words lacked conviction, "I am going to dissect you, James."

"Yeah, your dad warned me not to blame him." He kissed her again, Elsa's hand pushing against his chest.

* * *

Ren sat nervously eyeing the phone. Val was smirking from beside her. "Just call, Ren. She dumped him, so he's free game."

"What if he's not though… what if they've made up?" Ren fingered the ribbon that was holding her pony tail back.

Val chuckled, the light glinting off the choker he wore, a gift from Ren. "And what if you don't and they haven't and someone like Nicole snatches him up because you couldn't get the courage to call, Ren? You know that you have to do things for you, not just other people."

"You… you're right, Val." Ren said suddenly, resolve in her voice. Trembling fingers dialed James' number, and quick breaths listened to every ring until…

_Thump. Thump. Thump._

"…Hello?" A voice said on the other end.

* * *

**A/N: Bass or heartbeats? You decide.**

**And yes, I was listening to "Never Wanted to Dance" by Mindless Self Indulgence while writing this xD  
**

**I don't own Soul Eater or any OC except James and Elsa.**


	45. A Dancing Partner

Ren's face contorted in shock as Val looked at her. He quirked and eyebrow as she stammered out, "Is… is James there?"

"Hold on, we're in the club so it is kinda hard to hear you!" Nicole almost screamed into the phone. A few seconds later the background noise died down and Nicole continued, "Now, what did you need?"

"I… I want to talk to James." Ren said nervously.

"He's with Elsa right now, Ren." Nicole said. "I can tell him that you called if you want."

"He's with Elsa?" Ren's face fell and Val sat down beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulder.

"Yeah, I think they're making up. Wait a minute- is that why you were calling?" Nicole asked suddenly.

"No! I needed to know if he had finished the homework we had…" Ren's voice faded out at the end. The lie was flimsy, but Nicole just laughed.

"I'll have him call you back!"

_Click._

Tears fell down Ren's cheeks and Val did his best to comfort her.

* * *

Nicole walked back to the center of the club where she had left James and Elsa and couldn't help but laugh. James had joined the pile of rejected boys and Elsa was dancing in the middle of the crowd again. Kneeling beside James the teen handed him the phone.

"Ren just called, she wanted to ask you about homework or something." Nicole shrugged, adjusting her hair behind her ear. James just nodded. "Elsa blow you off?" Another nod.

"Well, you could give Ren a call, see how Elsa likes that. She just called to "ask about the homework we had", but it's obvious that the girl is sweet on you." Nicole grinned wolfishly. "Not that I think that would be safe for Ren, but it would make Elsa notice you more."

James just sighed. "Not only would Elsa make good on her promise to dissect me, I have a feeling that Hakase Stein would also be helping, and once they were done with me they'd do the same to Ren. Death knows Elsa already wants to." Nicole laughed.

"I'll see what I can do, James-kun." Both looked over at the other girl and the boy holding her arm.

* * *

Elsa was trying again to lose herself in the beat of the music, though James kept intruding on her thoughts. Her mood turning sour another idiot approached her, this one keeping well away from her, just joining her space on the dance floor. He had green hair and eyes and was well muscled and tone. Elsa just danced into a circle so that she wasn't facing him.

Apparently he took that as acceptance and began moving closer to her, the crowd jeering and laughing as he did. His voice was far too close to Elsa's comfort when he spoke in a low whisper. _"I know you don't really want to be here, how about we get out of here?"_

"Go to Hell." Elsa hissed out, her wavelength flaring in anger.

He grabbed her arm, and her wavelength fizzled out. Anger surged through her and her soul twisted, trying desperately to do something but was forced back in place nearly immediately by Elsa. Instead, her left hand crossed over and caught the boy square in the jaw.

He didn't move, and suddenly Elsa's eyes widened in fear before settling into curiosity, the madness that she had kept bottled up the entire night rearing its head and finally finding release. As the boy… prekishin… laughed Elsa slid her left hand to her back and removed the scalpel that she had hidden there. It lashed out, cutting the boy's face and he released her wrist, screaming in pain as green blood trickled down from the cut. Laughter exploded from her as she sliced again.

"Elsa, use a real weapon!" James' voice screamed from beside her, snapping her back to herself for a second. Her right hand darted out and he slipped into his weapon form, the girl catching him as around them other weapons transformed and were caught by their meisters.

The crowd was taunting the monster. "You made a mistake," Elsa said, calming down a bit. "You should never have screwed with me, I just wanted to dance." She darted at it, James' blade slicing into its stomach.

The creature fell backwards, only to be propelled back towards Elsa by a guy that was wearing a single gauntlet, a bit of smoke coming from the weapon and a similar mark now on the prekishins back. Elsa smirked as it howled in pain.

"Killing blow takes the soul!" She crowed, firing at it and forcing it to dodge her attacks, getting too close to the edge of the crowd. The advancing crowd. Elsa grinned as she watched bladed weapons slam into the thing as those with ranged found vantage points to shoot from. She darted in, driving James into the things stomach and tearing him up and through its chest. As soon as James came free the thing discorporated, its blood covering Elsa.

James grabbed the soul as the crowd started to disperse. "I don't really feel like we earned this, with so many people ganged up on one prekishin."

"It would probably give you a negative count because of how stupid that one was, anyway." Elsa said, her fingers deftly picking the soul out of James' hand. She scanned the crowd and then darted over to the weapon/meister pair that had landed the first blow on the prekishin. "Here," she said, "take this."

The boy grinned as his partner popped out of her weapon form, taking the soul and with a slight bow, devoured it.

Elsa looked down at her clothing then and sighed, the thing's green blood covering nearly every bit of exposed skin. James stood where she had left him and she walked over to him. "Come on, James. I need a shower and I don't have my keys with me."

James just chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, thankful that their fight was over and thankful for his long sleeved gakuran.

A shadow slipped into the club as they left, chuckling as it wrapped an arm around Nicole and whisked her away.

James and Elsa hadn't made it very far when Elsa collapsed beside him, her breath shallow and weak.

* * *

_Knock, knock, knock._

Someone was pounding on the door yet again and Stein was quite irritated. He slammed the scalpel into his desk, his dissection interrupted for the second time that night. Stripping yet another set of gloves off he washed his hands as the knocking became more and more intense. He focused his _Soul Perception_ a second before he heard Marie's scream tear through the lab. Soap still on his hands he darted out of his research lab, Marie frantically screaming his name.

He slipped his arms under his daughter's body, taking her from James easily, and all but ran into the lab. Sitting the unconscious girl down on an operating table he carefully took a sample of the blood that was coating her skin.

"What happened, James?" He asked as he moved to one of the large sinks nearby and started running warm water into it. James haltingly told the story as Stein moved his daughter into the sink, rinsing the blood of her. She moved slightly once most of the blood was off of her, the skin beneath it shiny and pink- a stark contrast to the normal paleness.

Telling James to leave the room for a moment, Stein stripped her clothing off and slid her into a hospital gown. He moved her back to the sink, running disinfectant this time and cleaned her wounds, letting the disinfectant soak through the gown. Lifting her out of the sink for a second time he turned to grab a towel to dry her off with.

Elsa's hand caught his as he turned back around, her gold eyes staring up into his green ones.

"I can dry myself off." The teen said quietly. "What happened? Why am I here? Where's James?"

Stein handed her the towel and helped her sit upright. She dried her short silver hair first, and then, without any sense of hesitation, stripped the robe off and dried off completely. She held the towel around herself and looked expectantly at her father.

"I need something to wear, dad." Elsa said, "And I don't want a hospital gown."

Stein chuckled. "You're here because James brought you here. He's waiting outside for you to be decent. I'm not sure what caused whatever it was that happened to you, but I took a sample of the blood that was on you, and I'll run some tests later. Your mother went to get you some clean clothing, so until she gets back you'll have to do with a robe."

"What about what I was wearing?" Elsa asked, shrugging into the robe he handed her.

"It's being burned. I need to run some tests on you, to see how it affected you. Do the wounds hurt?"

Elsa shook her head, "It feels like a burn, just tight. There's no pain." She rubbed a patch on her arm and sighed. "Like I wanted more scars…"

"It's just the top layer of skin, Elsa. It should heal up quickly, and without scarring." Stein smirked. "Now then, I want you to use _Soul Perception_ and tell me what room James is in."

"He's in the living room." Elsa answered automatically. "And mother is coming up the path now."

Stein nodded. "Good, now then, focus your wavelength around your hands." Nothing happened, and Elsa looked at him. "Elsa?"

"I'm trying to, dad." She said irritably, staring down at her hands. A few more moments passed and Elsa cursed. "I can't."

"Watch your language, young lady." Marie chided her as she came into the lab and handed Elsa a change of clothing.

"Yes, mother." Elsa said, changing quickly.

Stein called James in. "Elsa needs to stay here tonight, James." Stein said. "You're welcome to sleep in the spare room if you want, if not, I'll call you in the morning after I've ran some more tests on Elsa to come and get her."

"I'll stay." James said without any hesitation.

* * *

**A/N: I don't own Soul Eater.**


	46. Vacation!

The next morning found Elsa feeling considerably better, her wavelength running up and down her hands and arms as she sat on the wall that surrounded the lab. Stein stood watching her from inside the lab, relief running through both him and Marie.

James woke up with the sunrise, immediately realizing that Elsa was outside and instead of going the long way, he simply leapt out of the second story window, landing agilely and jogging over to the wall.

"Hey, Elsa!" James called out, looking up at the girl.

"What do you want, James?" She answered, looking down at him.

"How are you feeling? Everything better?" James followed her with his eyes as she hopped off the wall, landing beside him.

"Besides some shiny new burns that dad assures me won't scar, everything seems fine. It's all back to normal."

James grinned. "Glad to hear it, you had me worried!" He gave her a quick hug, but Elsa shoved him away.

"I don't think I forgave you, James. If anything, I should be dissecting you right now. I'm sure that dad would like to help." Elsa crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back against the wall. "We've had some major setbacks recently… if you had just listened to me we could be sitting at 90 souls, not 44!" Elsa stared up into the clouds and James sighed.

"If I had listened to you, you'd be dead, Elsa."

"You'd find a new meister and get the last few souls pretty quickly. Now we have 45 more to go." Elsa sighed. "You do realize that at this point we've collected 140 souls? We'll be at 185 when we finally get your last one. I don't think it is ever going to be over."

"We'll get there; I'm not that worried about becoming a death scythe, Elsa." James said comfortingly, sliding against the wall beside her.

"I wanted to make you a death scythe before graduation. If we're not careful, some other team will manage to make one before us. I'm not going to be stuck as a one star meister because of a few mistakes." Elsa stood and started walking towards the lab. "Come on, James, we have to get back home so we can pack."

"Wait, what do you mean pack, Elsa?"

Elsa turned to face him, and the grin on her face made him take an involuntary step backwards. "We're going on vacation, James. And if we snag a few dozen prekishin souls while we're there, it's all good."

* * *

The plane ride was uneventful, Elsa sleeping most of the way. Marie and Stein had been against their leaving, but even they were unable to tell Elsa no, especially after Stein himself had given her a clean bill of health. James couldn't sleep in the plane though, and resigned himself to watching the stupid inflight movie.

Six hours passed while Elsa slept, and James sighed, feeling his stomach start to rumble. A stewardess came through the aisle, offering refreshments and James gladly got himself and Elsa some.

An hour or so later Elsa awoke, about ten minutes before they arrived at their layover. Elsa thankfully ate what he had procured for her, and they disembarked.

"So, Elsa, still mad at me?"

"Of course I'm not." Elsa said, but the smile on her face was anything but reassuring. "Though, I'd be really, really happy if you went to get our room while I checked something." James looked at her curiously, but nodded, heading towards the hotel that was located about a block away.

Elsa pulled out her phone and flipped it open, pushing the second speed dial.

"Salut?"

"Melody! Ca va bien?"

"Bien, Elsa! Et toi?"

"Bien, bien." Elsa grinned into the phone. "James and I just hit our layover, are all of you going to be able to make it still? We've got about another 14 hours before we get there."

"Oui! Avalon is on his way now with Kiru; Nicole, Sylvia and I will be heading there shortly. I think that Ren and Val have already left; Artemis, Trevor, Chloe and Zane are on their way too. You did a wonderful job getting on the longest flight, Elsa! C'est très magnifique!" Melody's voice was bright and bubbly and Elsa felt the other girl's laughter infecting her and let it spill out.

"I'm glad it's all going according to plan, Melody! I know that you all can do it right."

"Merci, Elsa! Does he still believe that you are in anger with him?"

"He does, Melody. I have to keep him on his toes or he might figure it out- I'm concerned that if we have to resonate during any fights it'll slip out anyway, so we're going to just stay in the room and away from it all until our next flight leave."

"Bonne chance, Elsa!"

"Merci, Melody. I'll talk you later!"

"Salut, Elsa!" The connection severed and Elsa grinned, darting off towards the hotel.

* * *

James lay on his back, his eyes closed and finally asleep when Elsa came into the hotel room. A smirk played across her face as she climbed gingerly onto the bed, slipping James' glasses off his face. She stretched to lay them on the nightstand and squeaked when she felt James' hands wrap around her waist. He flipped her over, and even with the sleep in his eyes Elsa could see the determination in his eyes.

"You're not going anywhere until you're done being mad at me, Elsa." James said around a yawn.

"Oh, is that so? And you plan on keeping me here how?" Elsa smirked up at the exhausted weapon.

"I'm *yawn* bigger and stronger than you." James said.

"You're also exhausted while I've had time to rest and sleep on the plane. If I don't want to stay put, you won't be able to make me, James." Elsa said smugly.

James flopped off her and onto his back on the bed beside her. "You're right, Elsa. I'm too tired right now, anyway. If you're mad at me, which I don't think you are anymore, you'll just have to stay that way."

Elsa giggled before she could stop herself and leaned over to kiss James' forehead. "You're right. I'm not mad anymore. We're going to have a nice little vacation and maybe collect some prekishin souls before we go back to the academy, and then I'm going to turn you into a death scythe before graduation."

James yawned, hiding his smirk behind it. "I know you will, Elsa. I've never had any doubts about that."

"Good," she said, snuggling against his side. "Now get some sleep. Our next flight leaves in nine hours, and I know that you can't sleep on the plane."

James' eyes were already closed; the man's breathing deep and steady. Waiting until she was certain that he was completely asleep Elsa smirked and withdrew a small hypodermic she had managed to sneak through security. Injecting the sleeping aid into James she slipped off the bed and pulled open the carryon bag that she had refused to let James carry.

Removing the small item from it she pulled out a needle and thread and began to work on it. Sylvia had given it to her to repair, saying that James would love it. Elsa smirked as she held the small bear up to the light, admiring the fine stitch work that she had done on it.

* * *

Elsa and James boarded their flight and Elsa yawned, already almost asleep before the plane even departed. James just shook his head. _'I don't see how she manages to sleep on a plane!'_ He thought.

A bit of turbulence woke Elsa a couple hours later and James wrapped his hand around hers. She flashed him a look that said, "Don't bother, I'm not that angry," before he could pull her into his special room. He shrugged and she yawned, going back to sleep.

They arrived ahead of schedule and James woke Elsa, the pair of them retrieving their luggage before hailing a taxi to get them to the hotel they'd be staying in.

"How are we affording this again, Elsa?" James asked, looking in his wallet as they rode in the taxi.

"Don't worry it about it, James. I pulled some strings; we don't have to worry about anything on our vacation. It's covered." James looked at her sideways and Elsa just smirked.

Arriving at the hotel Elsa slipped out, leaving James and the bellhop to bring in their luggage. She already had the key when they got it, a grin on her face. She laced her arm through James' and tugged him towards the elevator as soon as he got close enough, the bellhop heading towards the staff elevator with their luggage after Elsa flashed him the number on their key.

The door of the elevator slid shut and Elsa was literally bouncing on her toes. James grabbed her shoulders. "Alright, Elsa, spill."

A grin cracked her face and she put a finger to her lips. "I got us a better room. The manager wasn't too happy about it, but my mother and dad used to stay here all the time when they had the time to go on vacation, so I was able to get us upgraded!"

"Upgraded to what, Elsa?"

_*ding*_ The door opened to reveal the penthouse suite, and Elsa just grinned.

* * *

**A/N: No angst? No attacks? No… normal Lialane stuff? BEHOLD! We enter fluff age! (I hope) Melody and Elsa's conversation was (simply) "Hey, how are you? Good, and you? Good, good." I wasn't sure how easily figure out able that would or wouldn't be :)  
**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	47. Surprise!

James yawned as he pushed the door open. The bellhop nodded as Elsa tipped him and grabbed the cart with their luggage, James stepping back so she could walk into the huge suite. There was just enough ambient light for James to see the light switch on the side of the wall, but not much more than that.

_*click*_

"**HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"** A chorus of voices caused James to jump back, and they all dissolved into laughter. James blinked, shaking his head.

"How… how…" James turned to Elsa and looked at her, "Elsa, what did you do to me?"

Elsa glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and smiled sweetly, "I surprised you, James." James let himself laugh, finally realizing the light touch of Elsa's soul on his. It was so unobtrusive he hadn't noticed it, but when she removed it he definitely noticed the difference.

Melody darted up to him, Ren towed behind her. Boosting the other girl in front of her Melody grinned.

Ren held out a wrapped present and James smiled, giving the girl a quick hug. "Thanks, Ren."

Ren fidgeted, the other bustling about getting stuff ready. "Open it?" She finally said in a small voice.

Elsa stood closer to James, looking at Ren. From a couple feet away Nicole stood watching the interaction with rapt attention. James carefully peeled off the paper and opened up the small box. Inside were a pair of ivory Shinigami-skull cufflinks. James smiled warmly.

"Thanks a lot, Ren. They're perfect." Ren blushed and darted away from James, standing beside Val.

Elsa climbed onto the couch in the middle of the suite. "Alright, guys! I know there are a lot of us here, and while it's the biggest room they hand, it really isn't big enough for a decent party, so Melody and I decided that we'd just order some pizza! It'll be here soon; until then, Artemis and Chloe have provided some… entertainment for us!" Elsa's face was cracked by a wide grin as she hopped off, before pushing James back down onto the chair.

A moment later music was blaring through the suite and a bottle had been sat on the table. "I know none of us are old enough to drink…" Artemis said sweetly, spinning the bottle slowly on the table. "So this is a soda bottle. Rules are still the same. It lands on you, you have to do a truth or dare given by that person or kiss them. Your choice."

"Really? Isn't this a kid's game?" James asked.

"What, just because you're finally officially 18 you're too good to play?" Chloe asked.

"Fine, I'll go first then." James said, glancing at Elsa who was smirking. He spun the bottle.

_*spin, spin, spin… Artemis, Kiru, Sylvia, Chloe, Zane… slowing spin… Val… Ren.*_

"So what'll it be, Ren?" The girl's face was beat red and she mumbled an answer so low that no one could actually hear it.

"Ren?" Val prompted from beside her.

"I… a kiss." Ren looked down and to the side, swallowing hard as most of the group burst out laughing.

James looked over at Elsa who was glaring at Ren. Noticing his questioning look she flashed a toothy "smile". "It's the rules, James. Wouldn't want to break those." Elsa said.

Hesitantly James leaned over the table and gave Ren a quick, chaste kiss to a ton of catcalls.

"That means that Ren spins the bottle this time!" Artemis prompted after the laughter had died down.

Again the bottle spun; this time landing on Kiru. "Truth or Dare." The dhampir said without hesitation.

Ren took a deep breath. "I… I dare you to admit to the person you like that you like her."

Kiru raised an eyebrow. "And if I don't like anyone here?"

The girls all looked at each other. "Then you don't have to I guess…"

Kiru smirked, wrapping an arm around Sylvia's waist and the two vanished to the laughter of the other teens.

"Well, that means he can't spin… so since you were sitting next to him, Elsa, you spin!" Artemis, who was obviously leading this game, commanded.

Elsa leaned up, spinning the bottle and watching as it spun and spun before finally landing on Avalon. The boy looked over at her and waited. "You have to ask me, Avalon." Elsa said and Avalon sighed.

His English accent hadn't dulled in the last four years and Elsa honestly found it fascinating to listen to him talk, she loved his accent as much as she loved Melody's.

"Alright, Elsa. What will it be? A kiss, or truth and dare."

Elsa smirked. "I'll take truth or dare."

He glanced around the group and smiled. "Alright, I dare you to go to the kitchen, fill a cup with ice cubes, add chocolate syrup if there is any, water if there isn't and pour it down the birthday boy's back."

Elsa laughed, springing to her feet.

"Hey, wait! Why me, Avalon?" James asked.

"It's your birthday, James. Something bad has to happen or the whole year will be bad!" The group descended into laughter again as Elsa came back in, having actually found chocolate syrup that someone had brought for the ice cream. One swift motion found the stuff dumped over James head and the whole group erupted into harder laughter.

"Avy, it is your spin!" Melody said suddenly. Avalon nodded, spinning the bottle.

It landed on Melody and she blushed as Avalon leaned over and kissed her without even waiting for her to ask him anything.

By the end of the night, half of the group had been dared to or had kissed the other half; even some of the boys had been dared to kiss each other. The pizza had finally arrived, and shortly thereafter Kiru and Sylvia had returned as well.

They spent the early hours of the morning with everyone working off the sugar high from the cake, the pop and the sugar. The girls danced to the music that was pounding from the stereo system, the guys watching them or the video game that was a source of constant conflict between the guys.

They fell asleep eventually, with the sun filtering through the blinds.

* * *

**A/N: I know that this is a short chapter, but I got what I wanted done in it. I hope that you enjoyed this.**

**I don't own Soul Eater.**


	48. A Surprise at the Beach

"Attention, tout le monde! Attention!" Melody was standing on a chair, sleep thick in her voice and slurring her words even though she was the most awake of the group. "Tout le monde!"

Around the room the other teens were waking from their various sleeping positions. Val sat up, worry on his face first that was quickly replaced with a glare as he noticed that somehow during the night Ren had managed to scoot near James; Elsa lay on the other side. Both girls had an arm draped over James' chest. Nicole had carved herself out a large section of the floor, lying sprawled out in the middle where the coffee table should be. Avalon was currently alone, though Melody had spent the night sleeping with her head cradled on his shoulder, Avalon curled against her.

Artemis and Trevor had managed to at least pretended to sleep in a bed; both had grabbed pillows early on. Chloe and Zane were the reason that the coffee table wasn't where it was supposed to be. It lay on its side, giving the two of them some semblance of privacy.

Kiru and Sylvia were the only ones not sleeping on the floor or against a chair. The pair had grabbed the couch before anyone had become sleepy, and now their long legs were tangled together, hanging over the edge. Sylvia's head was cushioned on Kiru's chest, and Kiru's arms were wrapped securely around Sylvia's waist, almost as if he were afraid he'd wake and she'd be gone.

All of them were being pulled out of their short sleep by Melody's excited, albeit tired sounding, voice.

"Aujourd'hui, nous avons un destination spécial! Nous somme aller à la plage!"

"What is she saying?" Chloe muttered, poking Avalon in the side as she crawled out from behind the coffee table.

Avalon yawned, and focused on what Melody was chattering on about. "Apparently we're going to the beach," he said finally around a yawn. "Melody, in English?"

"Anglais?" Melody repeated, and then blushed. "Mon Dieu! Je suis désolée!"

Avalon's voice was gentle. "Melody, you're still speaking French." He took her hand as she hopped off the chair, blushing.

"I'm sorry… Elsa and I thought that it would be a good idea if, since we were near the beach anyway, we went ahead and went!" Melody's face lit up. "I haven't been there in a while; you all should absolutely love it! And then we can do some shopping!"

There were groans at the mention of shopping from the males in the group.

Nicole sat up cross-legged and couldn't stifle the laughter that burst from her as she looked over at James, Ren and Elsa. The group, which had been looking at Melody during her speech, turned to look in the direction Nicole was pointing while desperately trying to catch her breath. Sudden laughter exploded in the room before hushing almost immediately, the gravity of the situation setting in.

James was still lying, though it obviously wasn't his choice. Elsa's hand was on his chest and she was glaring at Ren, whose other hand she held above James' chest.

James stared to say something and Elsa's hand slipped up to cover his mouth, effectively silencing him. The group watched in anticipation as Elsa grinned.

"You know, Ren, James is my boyfriend," she glanced down at James. "I know you like him, and I tolerate your flirting with him." Elsa wriggled Ren's hand suddenly. "This though…" Elsa's smile slipped into something a little darker, "… never again, right Ren?"

"Y-yeah…" Ren stammered and Elsa's face burst into a bright smile.

"I'm glad we've got that sorted out!" Elsa said as she pulled Ren into a hug. "Now then, I think I heard Melody saying we were going to the beach!" Ren's face was contorted in surprise.

Only Nicole was at the right angle to see the look that Elsa gave James.

* * *

An hour later everyone had had time to eat and they had all piled into a couple of rental cars, heading towards the beach that Melody insisted they go to.

James led via Melody's directions, the other two cars following behind. It took another half an hour to get to the beach, during which Melody never stopped smiling. When they arrived at the beach Avalon pulled out the single suitcase they had brought with everyone's suits; catching Melody's arm as she walked past him he pulled her close.

"_Melody, is this the same beach I am thinking of? From our last visit to your home?"_ He asked quietly. Melody gave a sly little smile.

"_Mais oui, Avy." _Melody said, the smile turning into a grin. Avalon sighed, wondering why he hadn't realized sooner.

A large sign proclaimed:

Plage des Sables d'Opale

Elsa and the others were stopped in front of the sign, reading the rules. Melody giggled from behind them, and even Avalon couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face.

"This is a nude beach!" Chloe exclaimed suddenly, and the rest of the group turned to look at Melody.

"Melody, you brought us to a nude beach?" James asked, shock apparent on his and everyone else's faces.

"Mais oui. C'est très magnifique. Mais, il n'est pas nécessaire d'être nu." Melody was blushing, but she looked to Avalon for him to translate.

A sudden thought flew through Avalon's mind as he started to translate for her. "She says that it's the most gorgeous beach here, and it would be a shame for us to miss out on seeing it."

Melody looked at him strangely and he just squeezed her hand.

"Forget it. That's crazy." Trevor said suddenly, more than one person nodding in agreement.

"Oh come on, are you scared?" Elsa asked suddenly. "We're in France, after all. No matter where we go the beaches are topless, so what's so much worse about having on one less piece of clothing?" Elsa punctuated her statement by removing her shirt, standing in shorts and a bra. The scars on her pale skin stood out, but no one mentioned them; they were all too shocked by her action.

"Isn't this just a little much?" Sylvia asked suddenly. "I mean, we're all friends and all… but still…"

"Aww, come on Syl-chan. You know you're curious about seeing Kiru-kun's-" Nicole was cut off by Kiru's hand sliding over her mouth.

In a low voice that all of them could still hear he asked, "And who's to say that she hasn't already?"

There was a brief moment when everyone was silent. Then Elsa started laughing, and James followed suit. Pretty soon everyone was laughing, and Sylvia was blushing like crazy. Kiru wrapped his arms around her and his low chuckle echoed against her back.

Elsa slipped her arm through Melody's, glancing over her shoulder at the rest. "If the rest of you are too scared, you can go on and go shopping or something. Maybe bring us food? I for one intend on enjoying this." She drug Melody off with her, and Avalon and James followed obediently, both men with a smirk on their face.

Ren was staring off somewhere in the distance as Val tapped her shoulder. "Do you want to do this, Ren?"

Ren gave a half nod before stopping. "What about you, Val?"

Nicole answered, finally recovering from her laughter. "Of course he does! He has to see how he compares to James!"

More laughter burst from the group then and Val shook his head, but walked off behind the other group, Ren following. Nicole smirked at the other two weapon-meister teams and watched as they, albeit reluctantly, funneled into the beach. A grin on her face Nicole stepped behind them.

* * *

"James, put sunscreen on my back, please." Elsa said, holding a bottle of sunscreen over her shoulder as she bent over, rubbing it into her legs, her back arched towards him.

James took the bottle from her and awkwardly rubbed the sunscreen on her back, all too aware that neither of them were wearing anything. "I'm still not sure how good of an idea this is, Elsa…" he said, rubbing sunscreen over the set of scars on her back. "You know how you are about your scars, what if someone mentions them? Plus the burns haven't healed all the way." They hadn't; the skin was still slightly pink.

"So? It just looks like I'm a little sunburnt already. Not a big deal." She stretched as he finished putting the sunscreen on her back and glanced down when she turned. A smirk tugged at her lips. "Make sure that you don't miss any parts."

James blushed and waited for her to leave the changing tent to take her advice. When he emerged the other groups were outside. They stood around awkwardly, and it was impossible for any of them to not notice the rest of the group's assets. Elsa broke the ice, hooking her arm through James and tugging the taller boy with her.

"We're going swimming!"

Gradually the teens made their way to the water, though more than one of them found themselves walking with their eyes to the ground. It was better once they got into the water. While it was clear, it still distorted what was in it, and eventually the group relaxed.

"Pick me up on your shoulders, James." Elsa said suddenly as they went out a little deeper in the water.

"Um, alright…" James slid his arms underneath Elsa's legs, lifting the girl out of the water.

"Hey, Val! Get over with Ren! We're going to chicken fight!" Elsa shouted, and all eyes turned towards her.

"I- I really don't want to." Ren said, sinking down deeper into the water.

"Come on, Ren. It'll be fun." The smile that Elsa flashed the girl wasn't comforting and didn't promise any fun.

Ren just gulped and nodded. A moment later she and Elsa were locked together with their hands on each other's elbows, each trying to knock the other off and into the water. Elsa was a bit taller than Ren, and was forced to hunch her shoulders a bit. Ren couldn't help but start laughing.

A moment later Zane and Chloe joined them. Trevor and Artemis floated in the water, Artemis just shaking her head when Trevor looked at her. Melody shrieked when Avalon scooped her up and out of the water, joining the wrestling fray with a smirk.

Kiru looked around and blinked in confusion for a second when he realized that Sylvia wasn't with him. Splashing up and out of the water he walked towards where Sylvia sat, dejected looking, next to Nicole. As he approached a bit of color appeared in Sylvia's cheeks.

"Aww, having a hard time looking away, Syl-chan?" Nicole snickered from beside the young dragon.

To be honest, she _was_ having trouble looking away from the dhampir. The water ran in rivulets down his toned chest and stomach, dripping from his…

Sylvia tore her eyes away from him, her cheeks heating up rapidly. Nicole just smirked, leaning back on her hands as Kiru got closer. "He does look nice though, doesn't he? All those muscles…" She looked sideways at Sylvia.

"I-I guess…" Sylvia muttered, not realizing that Kiru had heard the entire conversation as he reached them.

"What do you mean, you guess? I'm injured." Kiru said with a mock look of offense on his features.

"Oh, maybe she just prefers the way that someone else looks and wants to sit on the shore watching them instead, Kiru-kun." Nicole said with a smirk.

Kiru gave a slight huff and turned his back on them, walking back towards the water.

"No, it isn't that! I just don't like the water!" Sylvia nearly shrieked, her face contorted into an "Oh, dear Death, what just happened?" look.

Kiru stopped and chuckled before coming back over to where the girls were and sitting down with them, sand sticking to his body. Sylvia's face turned bright red and he smirked, pulling a towel from the suitcase and draping it over his waist.

"Better?" He asked.

Sylvia gave a quick nod even as she thought, "Not really," the blush creeping back to her cheeks.

They watched the wrestling match in the water, the other teens laughing as both Chloe and Melody ended up toppling into the water. That left just Ren and Elsa as contenders.

"You know, this is for more than just fun." Nicole said suddenly.

"What do you mean, Nicole-san?" Sylvia said, looking over at her.

"Elsa called Ren out. She's challenging her for James. And this is how James and Val are going to get to compete. If Elsa and James win, Elsa claims James and James claims the "big man on campus" title. And vice-versa."

Kiru just looked over at her. "That's stupid, Nicole."

She just threw a handful of sand at him, watching it stick to the drying water on his chest. "You don't know anything, Kiru-kun. Just watch."

The three sat watching the "battle" unfold.

* * *

Ren laughed again, her knees slipping a bit as Elsa twisted her arms, trying to knock her off Val's shoulders. Both men were glaring at each other, and James' foot snaked out, trying to unbalance Val and help Elsa win. Elsa wore a grin on her face, and she giggled as she twisted suddenly right and then left.

Ren's leg slipped from around Val's neck and she desperately tried to get her balance back at the same time that Val managed to upset James' balance. Elsa twisted her arms, wrenching Ren from Val's back, but at the same time, James fell backwards, dragging Elsa down and into the water with him.

Cheers and laughter erupted from around them, people they didn't even know joining the raucous laughter.

"You should join the competition for that you know!" An older woman said, laughing as they came out of the water.

"She's right!" Another person interjected.

The group laughed, their tension spent during the mock battle. Padding back to the three sitting on shore they wrapped up in towels, or in the case of Melody and Elsa, laid down on the towels, getting some sun.

"Who's going after food?" Elsa asked suddenly, her head lying on her arm as she turned it to look at them all.

Artemis immediately volunteered. "Trevor and I will. Pizza sound alright again? Can't do a lot more than that since we're at the beach."

"Either that or some cold cuts and we can build sandwiches." Melody's voice perked up. A murmured agreement ran through the teens and Artemis and Trevor left to get dressed and grab food. The group relaxed while they were gone until a voice cut through their gathering.

"You know," it drawled out sarcastically, "I always come here just to see if I can find the most hideously scarred person on the earth."

Elsa's eyes flew open and she was on her feet in a second, James and the others standing as well.

The man in front of them might be in his late teens, and was smirking. "It's true, those scars are unsightly. I don't see how you can bring yourself to come out in public with them."

James' fist caught him and knocked the man to the ground. "I don't see how you can bring yourself to come to a public place just to pick a fight." James said, cracking his knuckles as the other males stepped behind him, making a barrier between the girls and the man.

"It's easy. I don't give a shit about any of you, and it's always fun getting to call the cops because I was just assaulted on public property." Laughter bellowed from the man.

James just shrugged. "Good luck with that."

From beside him, Zane held up the man's cell phone. One strong throw hurled the phone into the ocean and the man was left staring at them.

"Now then, I think you were going to be moving on?" Val said from behind James.

The man just rolled his eyes and walked off as the group burst into laughter. Artemis and Trevor arrived back with food shortly afterwards, both remaining clothed.

"Shouldn't you two be a little more… natural?" Chloe asked as they passed out the sandwich makings.

"We had someone read the sign for us." Trevor said, glancing over at Melody and Avalon. "Apparently clothing is optional, not banned."

The group was silent for a second before bursting into laughter.

The sun was beginning to set when they were done eating, and the teens piled back into the cars, heading back to the hotel room.

* * *

**A/N: I'd like to say: HOORAY! I have my beta reader back :3 Fall-chan (PrimordialTime) is beta reading for me, keeping me on track :3 Big thanks to her. Also, thanks to boob for pulling me outta the angst funk. /bow**

**I don't own Soul Eater, and the only OCs that are mine are Elsa and James.  
**


	49. Shopping and Secrets

"Avy and I are going to stay avec ma famille, we have a couple extra rooms as well, since there are only three here in the suite, if anyone would like to join us instead of sleeping on the couch." Melody said as they arrived back, stretching.

"And what's the catch?" Artemis asked. "You left us in the dark about the beach, Melody."

Melody's quiet giggle trilled through the air. "There is no catch. You are simply welcome to take advantage of my family's hospitality. It would be nice to not sleep on the couch, n'est-ce pas?" Kiru's quiet chuckle brought a blush to Sylvia's cheeks.

Zane stood up. "We'll go. We'll all be meeting back here in the morning anyway, and the bed does sound better than the couch." Chloe just shrugged and nodded.

"Artemis and I will go too." Trevor said, stretching. "We already spent the night there waiting on you all to get here anyway."

"Alright, if that is settled, then we will return in the morning with the other car!" Melody said cheerfully, linking her arm through Avalon's. The English born weapon just smiled, letting her lean against him as they walked out, the ones that would be crashing with them following along.

Elsa stretched. "Alright then, who's sleeping where?" James asked.

Elsa looked over at Nicole and broke into a dead run down the hallway, Nicole just a step behind her as they both darted, looking for the master bedroom as the others watched laughing. Elsa's crow of triumph was easily heard as she flung open the door at the end of hall, Nicole shaking her head as she opened the other door.

"This one isn't that bad!" The weapon's voice drifted through the open door, and Elsa stuck her head into the room, having already claimed the master room for her and James. "It even has two beds in it." Elsa laughed as the rest came up the hallway, looking into the room as Nicole jumped onto the bed closest to the windows.

"This one is mine," she said offhandedly. "It's the fluffier of the two." She rolled over onto her back, hanging her head over the edge to look at the other teens standing in the doorway, Ren and Val having already wandered over to the room that was left.

Sylvia blushed suddenly as Kiru said, "Then we'll take this one."

Nicole burst out laughing as she saw the look on Sylvia's face. "Oh come on Sylvia-chan, you can't be that nervous, I mean you did literally sleep on him last night on the couch. I mean, you had to have-" Kiru's hand slipped over the weapon's mouth.

"Would you rather sleep Nicole, Sylvia?" He asked with a smirk.

The young dragon's cheeks flamed bright red. "I just, I didn't-"

Nicole's laughter filled the room as she slipped away from Kiru's hand. "You didn't seem to have any problems sleeping with him on the couch! And what do you two do when you poof off anyway, I mean, that's even worse, isn't it?"

Kiru grabbed for the pillow on Nicole's bed, and the teen slipped off the bed laughing. Her laughter was infectious and after a moment of Kiru trying to get to Nicole to suffocate her and Nicole avoiding the meister Sylvia felt herself laugh.

"I think I'll be alright to share a bed with Kiru-kun," she said as Nicole smirked.

* * *

"Mama! Nous avons arriver!" Melody shouted as they walked up the stairs. "Mes amis et moi desirons dormir au ton maison!"

"Ah, Melody!" A red haired woman stepped out of the home. "C'est bon."

The other two weapon-meister teams stood awkwardly as Melody and her mother chatted in French. Avalon cleared his throat suddenly and Melody looked up and blushed.

"I'm sorry, very rude. Mama, you met these others yesterday, we want to sleep in beds tonight. That's fine, yes?"

The woman smiled kindly and nodded. "You will have to pardon me. My English is not that good; but I believe Melody said you wish to sleep here."

The group nodded and the woman turned, motioning towards the large home behind her. "Then, I welcome you."

* * *

The next morning found the two groups reunited, the boys grumbling as they realized what the women had planned.

"Seriously, shopping?"

Elsa just grinned. "When else are you going to get to do shopping in France? Think of the things that you can get for the people who didn't get to come here. Besides, we're girls. We get to go shopping."

Eyes rolled, but the men all loaded into the cars, following along to go shopping.

The first stop, after breakfast, was at a store that sold small knickknacks. All of the teens wandered through it, several of them picking up small baubles to give to those back in the states as souvenirs. Elsa left without anything though, shaking her head at the selection.

"Elsa, you're not going to find anything for your father in any of these stores." James said as they sat outside the store, waiting on the others to file out.

"I know that, James. I can't go back empty handed though. Mother is fine to get something for, but dad, he just isn't a beach ball that says France or a t-shirt that says "They went to France and all I got was this crappy shirt." I just don't know what to get him." Elsa sighed.

It suddenly clicked. "He helped you come, didn't he? That's why you're being so picky."

"He helped pull the strings to get this covered by the expense account, that's why we have to gather a soul or two before we come back. The other groups don't have to, but we need to. That way it can all be written off."

James laughed, draping his arm around Elsa's shoulders. "Don't worry, we'll get some souls _and_ find your dad something worth giving him." Elsa smiled up at him and James was suddenly hit with the urge to kiss her. He lowered his head and did so, but the sound of breaking glass caused him to pull back suddenly, looking over his shoulder.

Ren was hurriedly cleaning up the mess she had made when she dropped the snow globe she was holding; Val stood beside her, a white bag held in his hands as he watched Elsa and James impassively.

"Let me help you, Ren." James said, standing from the street corner and moving over to her. He gingerly picked up shards of glass as the shopkeeper came out with a broom and dustpan.

"Mademoiselle, my apologies for your item, the bag must not have been secure, we will replace it." He said kindly.

"No… don't worry about it." Ren said quietly, moving away from him and sitting down in the car and waiting on Val to join her.

Looking at the rest of the group James just shrugged, walking over to the other car, climbing in. In short order the three cars were loaded with the teens and they were moving on to the next stop on the list.

"James!" Elsa's voice shrieked out as she pointed at a store they were getting ready to pass. "There, I need to go there!"

James obediently slowed the car down and Elsa was out of it as soon as it stopped, darting through traffic to enter the store, her door carelessly left open. James looked at her strangely as the other cars pulled in behind him, the other teens loitering around them as they got out. James pushed her door shut and just shrugged at the looks they gave him.

"It's Elsa, who knows what caught her attention?" The group laughed at that, and James carefully picked his way across the street.

Elsa stood in the middle of the store, spinning in a small circle and the group all crowded in close to the door. The store was… macabre. There wasn't another word for it.

On one wall there were preserved organs and old medical devices. Another wall held three full skeletons and individual bones were proudly displayed. There were marionettes and old items propped against shelving scattered throughout the store. Various unique items dotted through it all, including baby coffins and other items.

The look on Elsa's face was one of pure joy as she picked up item after item, the shop keeper following her around as if afraid that she would break something.

"Mademoiselle, I am sorry, but I do not allow unaccompanied children into the store," he said finally, turning to look at the group of teenagers. "I must ask you to leave."

Elsa turned to look at him then, a smirk crossing her features. "Oh, but you see, I'm not unaccompanied. In fact, Sylvia and I are the only ones here who aren't adults."

The man hesitated. "My… apologies," he finally said. Elsa smiled, wandering around a bit before her eyes alit on a leather bound case. She sat down, carefully moving it into her lap and opening. James felt the rush of madness before he saw its effect, and moved to her. She tilted her head to look at him, a small rush of giggles flowing from her before they were quickly tamped down.

"That's what I'm buying daddy." Elsa said sweetly. James swiftly took the case from her and opened it, shuddering slightly at the contents.

"Alright, Elsa. Let's get it and we can mail it to him right away, alright?" Elsa nodded as she took his hand and stood, taking the case back from it.

"I'll be purchasing this," she said as she sat the case on the counter.

"This isn't something a young lady should be buying…" the shop keep muttered even as he rung the item up.

"Her father will love it." James said and the shop keep just nodded, stowing the item in a bag. Elsa paid the asking price with her credit card.

As they left the clerk muttered, _"Her father must be a collector or insane…"_

James just smirked, though the idea of Elsa buying Hakase Stein an antique urethral probe set that included a miniature scalpel wasn't exactly his idea of a normal gift either. The other teens reacted similarly to the shop keep as they crowded around to see what had caught Elsa's interest.

"Melody, you know where a post office is? I want to mail this to Dad today. I have Mother's already." Elsa smiled.

Melody nodded. "Just follow Avy and I! We'll go to the open air market after; it's close to that location!"

* * *

After they mailed the Professor and Marie's gifts off they drove over to the open air market that Melody had mentioned. It carried all manners of items, but the girl's immediately drug the men off to the clothing and fashion accessories section. Avalon hung back as Elsa slipped her arm into Melody's, catching Nicole's attention.

Low words were spoken between the pair, Nicole laughing as she pulled away from the man, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Just leave it to me!" She sprinted ahead. "Hey, Melody! Elsa! Take a left; I see a hat that I have to have! And I see another one that's perfect for Syl-chan!" The crowd followed the women, the men moaning as purses were handed to them.

Nicole slid her arm into Melody's, handing Kiru both of their purses. Kiru looked down at the three purses in his hand and just sighed, reaching up to scratch his head for a moment before realizing that Avalon was nowhere to be seen and a grin just crossed the dhampir's face.

He strolled along behind the others, willingly carrying the women's purses, a smirk on his face until Avalon crept back up a few moments later. Kiru stopped him, glancing down at the small bag Avalon was carrying.

"Let's see what I had to carry your woman's purse for." Kiru said quietly, standing between Avalon and the others.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'll take Melody's purse." Avalon said just as quietly.

Kiru smirked. "Show me, or she'll know that you ran off to buy something and that you don't want her to see it."

Avalon glanced over Kiru's shoulder and sighed. Pulling the small box from the bag he opened it, showing Kiru the item inside. Kiru smirked, and handed Avalon Melody's purse. "You were here the whole time, weren't you, Avalon, not at the store on the corner from here?"

The Englishman grinned. "Yes, yes I was here and never there."

* * *

"James!" Elsa's voice was animated as she darted ahead of the group, stopping in front of a stand that sold costumes. "Halloween is soon! We should all get costumes while we're here! The D- school will be having a masquerade party this year, remember?" Elsa said, barely catching her slip-up in time.

Grins split the faces of nearly all the teens as they stepped into the canvased building to look over the costumes. An hour later the teens were filing out, each clutching a costume, laughter spreading through the whole group, with the exception of Kiru, who simply smirked- the simplicity of his costume not lost on him.

"Food!" Artemis said suddenly. "And not pizza or cold cuts again. We need to go actual food shopping for tonight."

Elsa grinned. "I'm sure the men can all fit in one car, send them on with the costumes, us women can go and get food!"

The men reluctantly filed into one vehicle, Kiru refusing and just poofing back. Elsa grinned as she slipped into one of the driver's side seats, Melody leading in the other. Leaning forward she turned the radio on full blast, Nicole, Sylvia and Artemis laughing as the words blared out in French as Elsa tried to sing along.

* * *

**A/N: More shopping next chapter, more fluff, more everything ;) Should be quite entertaining, as well. Just give it a shot! :D I don't own anyone but Elsa and James- and big thanks again to my beta, Fall :)**


	50. Nya

Melody guided them to an indoor market that was absolutely huge. The women stood gawking at the sheer size of the market, Melody already making a list of different things that they were going to need for dinner that night. A huge grin was spread across the woman's face as she led them through the maze that was the market, grabbing items from the shelf with blinding speed. The others walked behind her, pointing out things that they wanted to know about, adding random items to the cart just to try, including a large selection of cheeses.

Melody grinned at the cheeses. "We can't have cheese without wine, n'esc-ce pas?" She asked the other women who just looked at each other as she slipped some into the cart.

"Melody, none of us are 21." Elsa said, looking at her fellow meister.

"You are in France! Most of us have been drinking since we were 9 or 10, and while the drinking age is 18, that's only to buy it! You are allowed to drink it in private!"

Grins flitted across the faces of the women there; Sylvia and Elsa were left staring at each other. Elsa finally started laughing.

"Then let's do it. And NOT tell the men!" Laughter rang through the group as Melody slipped a bottle of vodka into the cart.

"The taste won't come through as much as will most others. We just need to be careful, and have some reason for a punch bowl." She thought for a second and added another bottle of the vodka. "A big punch bowl." Another round of laughing spread through the crowd, the women quickly finishing up their shopping.

"Now then… how do we get it into the hotel room without them knowing it?" Melody asked. The others sat around for a moment in silence before Sylvia grinned.

"I can do it. You all distract the men and I'll go in through the window. Elsa can block James' soul perception again, and the others don't have it enough for it to matter."

"Then it's settled!" Melody crowed out, everyone sliding back into the cars, bags of groceries filling the two trunks along with a large punch bowl.

* * *

The men stood outside the hotel, looking bored, when the women finally arrived. Sylvia waited til they were all unloading the vehicle in front of them before slipping out of the car, a bag clutched tightly in her hands. With a simple thought she slipped into her chibi form, flying up and landing at the window. A moment later she managed to open it, and slipped into the hotel, the vodka already stashed under the sink before anyone else got up to the room, the young dragon already on the way back down, the window firmly closed again.

A giggle went through the women as Sylvia slipped from behind one of the cars to grab a bag, pretending that she'd been there the whole time, and the men looked amongst themselves. Something was up, they could all tell it; they just didn't know what.

Obediently they took the bags up though, helping the women get everything into the kitchen and loitering around.

"Out! Everyone, out!" Melody's voice rose over the crowd. Elsa remained sitting on the counter after giving James a shove towards the door. Avalon was the only one that didn't leave and Melody made a little shooing motion with her hands towards the man, who only smirked.

"Elsa, would you mind giving me a moment with Melody, please?" Avalon said smiling. Elsa shrugged, hopping down and stretching.

"Call me when it's time to cook, Melody." Elsa said offhandedly, leaving the kitchen.

A shriek tore through the apartment a few minutes later and the teens flung the door open, weapons already transformed and in their meister's capable hands. There was no enemy in sight. There was however, an Englishman kneeling in front of a sobbing Frenchwoman who was wearing a very expensive ring on her finger.

A Frenchwoman that was currently spouting French so fast that even Avalon couldn't translate what she was saying.

"Did he-"

"He couldn't have-"

"No way!"

"About time!'

"Way to go, Avalon!"

"Say something, Melody!'

"Say yes!"

Laughter poured around the room as weapons transformed back and people leaned up against their respective partners or stood looking into the room as Melody slowly stopped crying.

"Melody?" Avalon asked.

"Oui, oui, oui." Melody blubbered out, a grin on her face as she bent down and Avalon stood, wrapping his arms around the smaller woman and kissing her.

"Looks like we need that wine now!" Artemis shouted to a chorus of laughs as Melody blushed.

* * *

An hour later the food was cooking and Melody and Nicole were in the kitchen, preparing the last of the food and drinks.

"Do you think that it's a good idea to spike the punch still? We've gone through a bottle of wine already." Nicole asked, looking at the two bottles of vodka.

"You mean that Avalon and James have drunk most of that bottle of wine, Nicole. I never imagined that James would be such a natural drinker, considering that he has never drank he said." Melody said as she washed orange juice off her hands from the fresh fruit, her engagement ring threaded through the necklace Avalon had given her that previous Valentine's Day.

"You do know who his father is, don't you?" Nicole asked.

"James? Actually, I don't."

"His father is _the_ Death Scythe. Lord Death's personal weapon. Death Scythe-san is known for holding his alcohol."

"You're kidding!"

Nicole handed Melody some more fruit to cut as Elsa answered. "It's true, Spirit is James' father, and Sylvia's adopted father. I grew up knowing him." The silver haired girl cut another citrus fruit into quarters as Nicole cleaned a pineapple.

"Wait, James and Sylvia are siblings?" Elsa just nodded, cleaning seeds. "Syl-chan is my onee-chan, because she's James' imouto. But, James isn't my onii-chan now."

"Much to Ren's dismay!" Nicole laughed out.

"Ren will just have to get over it." Elsa said coldly and the other two girls looked at her and the meister just shrugged. "I hate to disappoint her, but James is mine."

"I don't think anyone doubts that, Elsa." Nicole said quickly. "Just like no one doubts that Melody and Avy-kun belong together!"

The Frenchwoman blushed as she dug the seeds out of an orange before dumping the fruit into the punch bowl. "Nicole, once you finish with your pineapple we'll be done with fruit and just need to add the juice and," her voice lowered to a whisper, "the vodka."

Quiet giggling spread through the kitchen as the weapon dropped the pineapple into the punch and Melody added the vodka. Grabbing cups they all left with the hor d'oeurves and the punch.

* * *

It didn't take long. Elsa sipped on her glass of punch, as did most of the women, watching the men guzzle it as they ate the salty hor d'oeurves that they had prepared, a smirk on her face.

"Elsa, why aren't you drinking your punch or eating anything?" James was suddenly in front of her and Elsa recoiled a bit from the man's breath as he leaned against the wall with one hand, the other moving to sit on her hip.

"I'm not hungry or thirsty right now, James." Elsa laughed. "Dinner will be done soon anyway."

"But it's really, really good punch. And so are the little onion things. Good I mean." James said, his hand moving from her hip to tip her glass towards her mouth. Elsa laughed again and took a good swig of the punch, wincing a little at the taste. James slid against the wall beside her, his hand sliding behind her in an attempt to be sly as he wrapped it around her waist with a yawn.

Kiru on the other hand was sitting on the couch, smiling. Not a smirk, but a true smile, his face lit up. Sylvia sat beside him, having drunk some of the punch; she kept glancing at Kiru out of the corner of her eye as his arm got closer and closer to her shoulders before finally alighting on them. Sylvia blushed beet red and took another drink of her punch.

Avalon and Melody were… gone. For those with _Soul Perception_ they would find two souls very, very close to being one behind closed doors.

Ren hadn't drunk any, but Val had, not knowing the contents. The meister now stood in the middle of the room, glaring at James openly before stalking over to him. "Alright, Albarn, I challenge you."

"Huh?" James blinked, more than a little tipsy.

"You think you're all high and mighty and perfect because you can beat me in the physicals and on our tests. Well, I'll beat you here and now." Val's voice slurred a bit at the end and laughter erupted around the room.

"With what?" James asked as he pushed himself away from the wall. "Your fist?" The weapon stared at the meister's fist for a moment before laughing. "Not that you could."

Val's fist crossed in front of James' face and James staggered back, laughing as the wind from it ruffled his hair.

Elsa downed her punch and stepped between them. "Come on, you're both drunk- don't do something stupid like fighting where something could happen."

"Drunk?" Val eyed the other meister warily. "I… I don't drink."

"Well you did. We all have, and we're all going to keep enjoying it. Without fighting." James just chuckled from beside her.

"Then how do we know who wins?" James asked.

A smirk pulled across Elsa's face. "Easy. You drink."

In short order Elsa had the other vodka bottle that they had left half full open and was pouring shots into the clear glasses they had. James and Val looked at each other while the others crowded around (minus Avalon and Melody). Artemis and Trevor had already left to go and grab more alcohol for this.

"Rules are simple," Elsa said. "Whoever pukes or passes out first loses. For every five shots you all do, the crowd does one."

The two men nodded and downed the first shot. A few long moments passed before Elsa called for the second shot. Two heads were thrown back, two shots downed. Artemis and Trevor arrived back then, sitting another couple bottles on the table, these flavored.

"Again!" Elsa crowed out, raising a glass of her own and taking a shot. She shook her head as it burned on the way down and the others laughed, taking a shot as well. James and Val stared each other in the eye and took a deep breath before knocking back the shot.

"Shot, shot, shot!" Laughter erupted as the two men threw back another shot. And so on. After the seventh shot, Val and James' eyesight was both blurring; Val passed out on the eighth, James on the ninth.

The group of teens was in an uproar, most of them having had at least two shots of vodka now on top of the punch. The sole exception being Ren who stood against the wall, her full cup in her hand, watching the other interact with each other.

She smiled as she watched the Kiru and Zane pick James and Val up, moving them off the floor and into their bedrooms, and everyone laughed as they made a hasty retreat with James from his and Elsa's room, Avalon slamming the door shut and locking it this time with nothing but a sheet wrapped around his waist, Melody's lilting voice cursing from behind him in French. They ended up leaving James in Val's room, the man already starting to groggily wake up.

"Miaou." All heads turned towards the noise, and the laughter rose in volume. Sylvia was back on the couch with Kiru, but she was meowing like a cat, rubbing her head against the dhampir's hand that was alternating between laughing while he scratched her ears and chuckling as she purred while he rubbed her stomach and/or throat.

Nicole was bent double laughing at that and Elsa walked up behind her, placing her arm over the laughing weapon's back. "Hey, you're sober enough to help me, right?" Elsa asked.

Nicole nodded, ignoring the stink of vodka that was coming off of Elsa at that point in time, and followed her into the kitchen. Elsa drew a blade from the set that Melody had brought and popped open the oven, pulling out the ham and setting it down on the table to cool as she toyed with the knife. Wide eyes looked up at the weapon that was lounging on the counter top.

"I was going to make you my weapon, you know." Elsa's words stopped the kicking of Nicole's feet and took the smile from her face even as Elsa's contorted into what might have been a smile. "When Syl-chan ran off. I was going to make you my weapon after I dissected Kiru-kun."

"Elsa-chan, what are you talking about?" Elsa twirled the knife as Nicole slipped off the counter, the point of the knife against the countertop.

"It's a secret that no one, not even me, knows. I almost killed James. I was going to kill Kiru. Then I was going to make you my weapon." Before Nicole could move, Elsa darted at her, the knife in her hand, laughter leaking from the teen's throat.

Nicole was entirely unprepared to find Elsa's lips on her own, the knife buried in the countertop next to where Nicole had been sitting, before Elsa collapsed, giggling hysterically on the floor, her head cradled in her hands. Nicole stepped around the taller girl, gingerly pulling the knife out of the countertop, and noting that it had been buried nearly an inch into it.

Fear had knocked sobriety back into the weapon. Mechanically Nicole carved the ham, ignoring the meister that was alternating between sobbing and laughing hysterically on the floor. It took a long minute for Elsa to come back to herself, and when she did she just looked up at Nicole.

"I need to say I'm sorry, don't I?"

"Just forget it, Elsa-chan, but promise me that you won't drink again." Nicole said unsteadily.

The meister laughed and stood to her feet, stumbling a bit. "I bet daddy would say the same thing. He won't let mother drink either." Elsa stumbled out of the room then, and a few moments later Nicole was certain that she heard the door to the bathroom shut and the sound of heaving.

* * *

The food went cold; none of the teens that were currently sprawled out in various positions were really in the mood for anything to eat other than Ren. Melody and Avalon emerged a while later from Elsa and James' room; the telltale sign of their dalliances visible in the flush their faces had and the mussed up way their hair was.

"They had all the fun without us, Avy." Melody said and Avalon slipped his arm around her waist.

"I believe that we may have had more fun, mon amour." Melody blushed deeper and turned her head away from Avalon. He planted a kiss on the side of her neck and just chuckled at the sound she made. "I am allowed to now, Melody. You said yes."

"A thousand times, Avy." She smiled up and he just chuckled.

"I'd tell you to get a room, but you've already been there, done… that." Nicole's voice came from behind them and the two turned to look at her. "I think everyone else is just about done tonight. Want to take some food to your family?"

"Thank you, but no. We're going to try to wake the ones that were staying with us before we go."

Nicole laughed. "Don't bother. Just go on, you need to tell your parents anyway." Melody blushed again, and Avalon pulled her tighter, a smile on his face. "Congratulations, took you long enough though."

"Merci, Nicole." The pair turned to leave, and Nicole looked over at Ren.

"We're the only ones not drunk and my room has two beds. Let's go crash." Ren nodded, and they picked their way through the field of passed out teens.

* * *

**A/N: Ah, teenage curiosity. Just an FYI- I don't drink, I can't stand the taste, but vodka in fruit juice is one of the more palatable things I've had. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I don't own anyone but James and Elsa. I don't own Soul Eater either.**


	51. Happy Halloween

Elsa woke up with her head bent over the toilet, someone knocking on the door, and a pounding in her head that was keeping time with the beating on the door.

"Elsa, open up! You're the only one not accounted for, so we know that you're in there! For Death's sake, let me in!" Elsa rubbed the back of her neck as she raised her head, blinking to clear her spotty vision. "Elsa! Now!"

Elsa stumbled to her feet and ran the water in the sink, splashing it over her dry lips and face. "Elsa!"

"Give me a second!" The silver haired meister shouted, finally placing the voice to a person. The exasperated sigh that echoed through the door just made her laugh a bit. "Chloe, just give me a second."

"We all have to use it, so you better hurry!" Elsa just made a face into the mirror and rinsed her mouth out with water before opening the door and stumbling slightly as she left, yawning.

"About time!" Chloe darted into the room and shut the door. Elsa couldn't help but giggle as she threaded her way carefully into the large living space. She plopped down beside Melody and grinned a bit. The girls had all gathered up together, the guys were around James and Val.

Chloe finished in the restroom and came back, sitting beside Artemis. Nicole looked over her shoulder at the guys and scooted in closer. The other women got the hint and soon they were sitting in a tight circle, their heads all bent in, talking to each other in low voices.

"Alright, spill." Nicole said, staring straight at Melody.

The meister looked at Nicole innocently. "Je ne sais pas que-"

"Don't give us that line, Melody!" Nicole interrupted, laughing.

"We want all the details!" Artemis said suddenly, and the group burst out laughing as Melody blushed.

"There's nothing to-" Melody started.

"Come on, Melody! We all know what happened last night," Elsa said with a grin. "I may not remember much past the drinking contest, but I do remember that your and Avy-kun's souls were awful, awful close to be-" Melody's hand slipped over Elsa's mouth and the silver haired girl laughed through it, though she rubbed her temples after Melody removed her hand. _"Gah, I have such a headache…" _she whispered miserably.

"Maybe you should have been more careful with what you drank, Elsa." Ren chided, earning a glare from the teen.

Nicole stepped in to the conversation again. "Come on, Mel-chan, just spill!"

The Frenchwoman blushed again and leaned in towards the others. Laughter spilled through the group before they all gave the woman that was quietly speaking their entire attention.

"I'm sure that I'm not the only one, n'est-ce pas, Sylvia?" Melody said slyly. The young dragon just blushed and Melody took a deep breath. "Well… it started with just a kiss… and then… Avy's hands…"

* * *

The men looked up as the women burst into laughter. Val just sat with his head cushioned on his arm on the table, James in a similar position across the table.

"What do you think they're laughing about?" James muttered from his elbow, wincing a bit at the noise.

"They're girls, what do you think?" Val replied. "They're either making fun of us or talking about us."

The men chuckled a bit. "Well, now that you two have had a taste of getting so drunk you pass out, do you think you'll do it again?" Kiru smirked as Avalon asked the question.

"Bleh," was Val's response.

"I don't see how my dad does this so often." James complained.

"You build up a tolerance," the dhampir said calmly.

"Yeah, that's why you were all sunshiny last night." Trevor said, laughing. "Or did you forget all about you wanting to sing kitty songs to Sylvia who thought that she was a cat?"

Kiru's face flushed slightly and Trevor strode off into the kitchen laughing. The men bantered back and forth for a bit before they heard someone clear their throat.

"I got volunteered to come get you all. Elsa says we've got to get going or we'll miss the DWMA's hallow's eve fete."

There was a sudden rush as the men scrambled over themselves.

The hallow's eve fete was well known through the school, and not a one of them wanted to miss what would be there last one as students.

* * *

"Franken! Someone's at the door!" Marie's voice drifted through the lab and Stein just shook his head, standing to his feet. He peeled off his gloves and slipped out of his research lab and to the door, opening it to find no one there.

There was, however a box sitting at the doorstep, addressed to him and Marie from a location in France. Elsa's curving handwriting covered the front of the box and Stein smirked as he looked down at it. He picked up the box and walked into the kitchen where Marie was, sitting it down on the table and sliding a scalpel out of his pocket, carefully opening the box.

There were too smaller packages inside, and a note from Elsa.

_Daddy, mother, these are something that I thought that the two of you would enjoy. I'll leave it up to you to figure out what belongs to each of you. I have faith you can! _

_Love, Elsa!_

Stein picked up one of the boxes and shrugged, handing Marie the other one. He carefully opened his, handing Marie the scalpel so that she could open hers and laughed as he stared down into the carefully packed box.

"I think that I might have gotten yours, Marie." He pulled a bright yellow scarf out of the box; a lightning bolt symbol that matched the one on Marie's eye patch embroidered on the bottom, and then picked up the set of plane tickets that were sitting underneath it.

"I _know_ that I got yours." Marie's voice didn't sound enthusiastic at all, and she was still staring into the box. Stein stepped around the table to look into it, and couldn't keep himself from chuckling.

Gentle hands reached out to pick the antique medical items up and he gingerly removed the small scalpel from the front.

"What is it?" Marie asked, standing beside him and looking at the odd item.

"A set of urethral probes, from the looks of things." Marie shuddered beside him and Stein draped an arm over her shoulder.

"Our daughter knows us all too well." Marie said and Stein just smirked.

* * *

"Elsa, we have to go or we're going to miss the plane."

Elsa blinked into the sunlight. "We'll get another one if we do. We have to get a prekishin before we leave or we can't put this into the expense report."

James just sighed, looking over his shoulder. "Can you even sense any?"

A grin crossed the girl's face. "Yeah, this way!" She darted off, James hot on her trail. The prekishin they found was pitifully easy to take down, but Elsa grinned as they did so.

"That's it- now we can go." James just shook his head, laughing as he followed her towards the airport.

* * *

"Melody, can you zip my dress?" Elsa asked, posing in front of the mirror. Her costume was almost done- Sylvia was painting the last of the stitches across Elsa's preexisting scars.

"Oui." Melody said, her pale hands reaching out to zip up Elsa's dress. "It is so cool that you and James are going to go as Jack and Sally. You make a really good Sally, and I'm sure he'll do a good Jack Skellington." Elsa grinned.

"You and Avy-kun going as a zombie and a ghost is so much fun though! I wish James and I had thought of something like that." Elsa said admiring her now finished costume in the mirror. "Are you sure that you're going to be alright just going in your chibi form, Syl-chan?" Elsa asked suddenly.

"Oh, it's not just her chibi form!" Nicole said cheerfully. "I have some… additions!" The older girl grinned at Sylvia and held up a small bag.

Laughter burst through the room as she pulled out the items from the bag. A pair of cat ears, a small jar of black makeup, a collar with a bell, a tail and a set of whiskers were soon laid out in front of the dragon and Nicole was already busy applying the makeup to Sylvia's nose as the other teen squirmed a bit.

"And what about you, Nicole-chan?" Elsa asked as she adjusted the large white bow that was adorning Melody's now white-tinted hair.

"You'll just have to wait until we get there to see!" Nicole laughed.

Elsa grinned and she shrugged. "Alright, Nicole. We'll see when we get there!"

* * *

Jack Skellington, a zombie, and a vampire were loitering at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the DWMA when the women arrived in Nicole's car. Sally, a ghost and a dragon turned cat slipped out of the vehicle and watched as it drove off, an odd expression on their faces.

"Where's Nicole going?" James asked.

"No clue!" Elsa said, "But we better get going. It's supposed to start in about 10 minutes. I'm sure that she'll make it back in time."

"It probably has something to do with her costume." Melody reasoned, and Sylvia nodded from her position wrapped around Kiru's throat. The three couples walked up the steps where they were met by an eclectic collection of individuals.

Ren and Val had dressed as a witch and a phantom of the opera type character, respectively. Artemis was a huntress and Trevor had come as a witchdoctor. Elsa burst out laughing as she looked at the half-dressed man with a fake bone going through his nose. Zane had come as a wolf-man, and Chloe was a ninja.

Marie and Stein were standing at the top of the stairs, chaperoning and directing students into the school and towards the large auditorium and dance hall that would serve as the party's main area. They were dressed alike, though their costumes were as different as they were similar. Both had on a top hat, though Marie's was smaller than Stein's, and their costumes were almost Victorian looking, if not for the addition of gears and cogs. Marie even carried a small clockwork gun on her side, and the cane that Stein was holding was even more obviously modified.

No one was surprised to find out that their steampunk costumes were completely handmade.

Inside and at the party there was an even more eclectic collection of costumes. They ran the gamut from risqué to terrifying to just plain adorable. The teens mingled throughout the party, laughing and joking.

Ren drifted away from the group, stopping with a glass of punch against the wall, next to another teen that was in the same position, just watching the party from the sidelines. She smiled over at him, and extended her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Holmes," she said with a small giggle.

The strawberry blonde teen met her eyes and tentatively extended his hand to her. As his suit jacket rode up his arm Ren's eyes widened at the sight of an obvious bandage wrapped around the portion of his arm that she could see.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, MS…" The boy's voice was low and even and Ren felt herself blush slightly as she looked into his green eyes. Emerald green eyes.

She giggled slightly as they shook hands, her voice small as she replied, "Ren."

His hand brought hers to his lips, the teen playing the part of Sherlock Holmes to a tee. "A pleasure to meet you Ms. Ren." He released her hand then, and leaned back against the wall, a book held open against his leg.

Ren fidgeted nervously for a moment before taking a step closer to the other teen. "The party really is gorgeous this year, isn't it?"

"Yes it is, Ms. Ren. The Earl certainly has thrown a smashing ball for us all."

Ren laughed, and she saw the boy give a small smile. "Well, Mr. Holmes, perhaps I could entreat you for a dance then?" Ren held out her arm, her shyness evaporating a bit as he nodded, sitting a well-used copy of Sherlock Holmes down beside where he had been standing, the two of them stepping onto the ballroom floor.

Val smiled from his position by the punch bowl.

* * *

"Melody?" Avalon's voice came from slightly above the woman's head and she looked up into his eyes. "I don't know what is bothering you, but you've been sad the whole time that we've been here."

"My parents were here last year, Avy. They refused to come this year because of my father. He… he doesn't want to allow me to choose to marry you… my mother says yes… but my father… il est très stupide."

Avalon smiled down at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead, careful of her makeup. "Don't worry about it, Melody. We will have our entire lives to make him happy for you, and make up for this missed party. You have my word."

Melody smiled as she leaned her head against her fiancé's chest, the two of them swaying to the ephemeral beat.

* * *

James and Elsa danced together in the middle of the floor, Elsa laughing for the first time when people would point out her scars and the careful marks that they had made across them to represent the stitches on Sally.

"Who would ever have thought that I would be happy to have had the scars when I was doing a costume?" She asked James.

"It's a mystery to us all." James joked.

The music picked up and James laughed as Elsa swept away from his with a flourish. He followed with an equally large flourish, grasping her hand and dipping the teen into a low sweep. A small crowd gathered around them, watching as they danced the night away.

* * *

**A/N: I'll continue the party in the next chapter. Happy Halloween.**

**I don't own Soul Eater or any of the OCs except James and Elsa. Also, the newcomer belongs to boob. Enjoy.  
**


	52. New Beaus

Ren twirled into a graceful dip as her mysterious partner danced with her, the teen boy dancing as a gentleman would, holding her at the appropriate distance, etc. As they danced the girl smiled, and tried to engage him in conversation.

"It would seem that you know my name, Mr. Holmes, but I don't know your actual name."

"Ah, but isn't mystery the note of the evening? It would appear that the Earl has invited us all to a masquerade ball." There was a sly grin on the teen's face and Ren couldn't help but giggle slightly.

"But, kind sir, if you do not allow me to know who you are, how will I find you afterwards when your mask is removed?" Ren tried her best to fit in with his character.

He swept her into another flourish, bending her back into a graceful dip. "Ah, my dear. Perhaps you will know me when we meet, perhaps not. Though, I hope you will."

Ren's hair fell from her face and she smiled, her thoughts not of James for once.

* * *

Val stood by the punch bowl, a smile on his face as he watched Ren look happy for the first time in a long time. He turned, and felt his mouth open into an "O" of surprise.

Nicole had finally returned to the party, and her costume was making more than a little bit of a stir. The woman was dressed as Princess Leia from a popular movie that Val's overloaded brain couldn't think of the name of immediately. Though, dressed wasn't exactly the proper word for her costume. She was sporting the slave-girl look.

Val was rendered speechless as she walked over to him and got herself a glass of punch. Val took a deep breath. "Your costume is very… interesting, Nicole-chan."

"Val-kun! I enjoy yours as well. The party looks like it is really nice!" She said as she leaned back against the table, taking a drink of the punch. Val just nodded.

"Would- would you like to dance?" Val asked suddenly. Nicole just gave him a smile and nodded.

"Sure."

* * *

Spirit stalked around the edges of the party, keeping an eye on both James and Sylvia, just as he had done since their very first dance here at Shibusen. He was so focused on watching his children that he didn't realize how very close Stein was to him; he stepped straight into his former meister.

"Ah, Stein. Wonderful party, as always." Spirit said, ducking behind a pillar as James and Elsa danced past them, his eyes scanning for signs of Sylvia and Kiru.

"I don't see how you can do it, Senpai." Stein said quietly, and Spirit glanced over at him. "Keeping track of one child at these things can be nerve-wracking, and I have _Soul Perception_ to rely on. Marie nearly collapsed Elsa's first dance."

Spirit smirked, finally picking Sylvia out of the crowd. "Azusa was the same way. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have a certain child to spy on."

Stein smirked as Spirit ghosted away.

* * *

"Syl-chan, I believe I see your father?"

"Larza-sama or Spirit-sama?" She asked, her head resting on Kiru's chest.

Kiru's voice was strained a bit. "Erm… both."

The teen's head jerked up and she nearly messed up the dance they were doing. The two men were on opposite ends of the ballroom, and were glaring pointedly at each other while also watching her and Kiru dance. Sylvia just sighed, letting Kiru dip her into a low dip, only his arms keeping her from falling. She saw the glint in his eyes and the smirk on his lips and knew that he was planning something. It still didn't stop her surprise as his lips landed on her exposed throat, or the giggle that flew when she heard the unmistakable sound of both Larza and Spirit yelling her name.

They disappeared into the night.

* * *

"Do you like my costume?" Nicole asked innocently as they practically flew through the dance.

Val forced himself to keep staring over her shoulder, his gaze wanting to drop lower. "It's certainly… unique, Nicole-chan."

Nicole just laughed. "I was wanting it to be a surprise for everyone, Val-kun."

"It certainly is a surprise." Val said, a light blush on his cheeks.

Nicole just laughed. "You're adorable when you blush."

"I am not blushing."

She leaned forward and pecked his cheek. A smirk crossed the teen's face as she pulled back. "You definitely are now."

Val didn't have a response for that.

* * *

Larza and Spirit stood glaring at each other.

"How original, mortal, that you chose to dress as a mortal." Larza drawled out.

"At least I'm wearing a costume. You look no different than the last time we had to deal with you. What the hell are you doing here anyway?" Spirit snapped back.

"Watching my hatchling."

"My daughter, you mean. You were also banned from Death City!" Spirit argued.

Larza just rolled his eyes. "I'm not actually here, you unintelligent barbarian."

Spirit furrowed his brow, squinting, and then stuck his bladed hand out. It passed right through the dragon and Spirit cursed, turning his back on the image as Larza just laughed, looking for Elsa and James now that Kiru and Syl were gone.

* * *

Chloe, Zane, Artemis and Trevor had formed a large dance group, and were in the middle of a particularly complicated dance when Elsa and James managed to dance close to them. Artemis' arm snaked out and spun the taller girl out of James grip; Chloe pulled James into the dance. Both teens just laughed, joining in the dance.

On one pass James caught sight of Ren and Val, both dancing with someone. He knew Val was dancing with Nicole, but he couldn't place who Ren was dancing with. The teen looked familiar, but he wasn't sure of whom it could actually be.

Word through the grapevine of their little group finally gave Ren's mysterious dance partner a name; Audey Taylor. Rumors ran through the group related to the boy as they all sat down, drinking from the punch bowl and eating some finger foods while they watched her dance with him.

Spirit soon grew bored and walked off, his pirate hat flopping.

"So, he is in the E.A.T. class?" Elsa asked, looking over at him.

"Yeah, but he's been out for the last couple weeks." Chloe said.

Zane continued for her, "His brother was his weapon. They've spent nearly the entirety of the last two years out on missions; I've only actually seen them in class a couple times."

Elsa just nodded, "That explains why it took us so long to recognize him. Wait, you said his brother was his weapon?"

Chloe picked up the explanation. "Yeah, was. Apparently he and his brother went against a witch not long ago." The group leaned in around the table. "She could take other people's forms, and somehow saw a picture of their mom or something. Henry, his brother, took the blow that the witch meant for Audey, and ended up dying. Audey was pretty badly injured, the only thing that saved him was that the witch thought he was dead too and took the opportunity to escape. I'm still not sure who brought him back to the school."

There was murmur from around the table.

"That's horrible," Elsa said, looking back to where the two were dancing, and heads nodded in agreement all around her. "How did we not hear about this sooner?"

Zane answered, "We only knew about what happened because we were coming back from a mission and saw him in the infirmary."

James' hand touched Elsa's leg underneath the table and he gave her a smile that promised that that wouldn't happen to them. She smiled back, then mouthed, _"Don't mess up my makeup."_ James just chuckled quietly.

* * *

Val danced with Nicole the whole night, the two talking like they had just met, not like people who had spent nearly the last four years in the same class. Nicole's laughter was light, and even Val found himself smiling a bit.

That was why, when the dance came to an end, Val had worked up enough courage to tell Nicole something.

"I want to tell you something, Nicole-chan." Val said quietly.

"What's that, Val-kun?" Nicole said sweetly, her cheeks slightly flushed in the cold air outside. He hesitated a moment, slipping off his jacket and giving it to her. She gratefully accepted it, pulling it around her shoulders.

"I," Val took a deep breath. "I've had a crush on your for a long time, but I didn't want to say anything because I thought that you were or would be with Kiru-san."

Nicole laughed then, and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Kiru-kun is Syl-chan's."

Val bit his lip before he realized it and took another deep breath. "Would you… would you give me a chance then?"

Nicole's smile was honest and open. "I'd enjoy that, Val-kun."

She slipped her hand into his.

* * *

The next morning found them all back in class, and Chloe passed a note over to Ren. The girl's eyes widened as she read it, and she looked over her shoulder at the back of the class. She recognized the strawberry blonde hair from before, and felt a blush cover her cheeks. Looking at the clock she realized that she had a few minutes before class started and with a sudden rush of resolve she stood and walked to the top of the auditorium seating, and sat down beside the teen.

"Hello, Mr. Holmes." The teen looked up at her and she smiled.

"Ms. Ren. The ball was a grand event, was it not?" There was a twinkle in his eyes, though his face was smooth.

She giggled. "It was fun, and something I'd like to do again, with you."

Shock registered on the teen's face. "With me?"

"Yes, Mr. Holmes, you were splendid company last night." She extended her hand. "I'm Ren, and you are?"

A smile tugged at his lips and he caught her hand in his, pressing his lips to the back of it. "Audey Taylor, Ms. Ren."

A hushed "Ooooo" ran through the room and Ren blushed, but she didn't pull her hand from his.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this is taking so long to get updated. I'm trying, honestly. I just have a LOT on my plate… and I believe I've missed my chance on NaNoWriMo this year :( I hope you enjoyed the (late) conclusion to the dance.**

**I don't own Soul Eater. Audey, our newest OC belongs to boob. Val and Ren belong to Eive. Melody and Avalon to AU. Nicole, Kiru, Syl, and Larza to Fall, Chloe and Zane to cj, and Trevor and Artemis to greek.**


	53. Taken

**A/N: There is something I feel the need to tell you all. I do not enjoy writing Elsa anymore. That's why the updates are coming so few and far between. I am not going to tell you why I am not enjoying it, just that the arc that I am going to begin will more than likely be the wrapping up of this story line. Unfortunately, this arc is something that has been planned almost since I began writing Elsa, and as such, does not include most the OCs that you all have grown used to me writing.**

**My apologies to the owners of the OCs; however, as much I loved writing Elsa and as much as I used to enjoy it, I feel that Elsa has just become something that I am dragging out with no real purpose. I can no longer promise that Elsa will be light and fluffy- this arc will, through necessity, be pretty angsty. Remember, there's always hope with angst.**

**I'm not sure how many more chapters the arc will take, and I'm very bad about giving a number and then overshooting it by quite a bit. Hang with me; I'm not going to skimp on this. Thank you all so much for reading. I appreciate you all.**

* * *

"Graduation is in 3 weeks!" Elsa crowed out, a smile on her face. "No one else has created a death scythe yet and we're at the point where all we need is our witch soul! Finally!" The silver-haired meister grinned as she jumped at James, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a kiss. "We're finally going to make you a death scythe, James! And we'll be the first ones!"

"You're forgetting that Kiru, Nicole and Syl are only a witch soul away as well, Elsa." James smiled down at her. "I'm sure we can beat them though."

"We better." Elsa was suddenly serious. "I'm not going to have Kiru-kun be a two star meister while I'm still stuck as a one star. It would be a disgrace to the name Stein."

James just sighed. "You shouldn't be doing this because of your dad, Elsa."

"Of course I'm not. I'm doing it because I'm going to be just like my daddy." A childish grin crossed her face and James shivered. "But, I'm also doing it because I'm going to be better than him. He didn't even turn Uncle Spirit into a death scythe, your big sis's mom did."

"Yeah, yeah, Elsa. We'll get a witch's soul soon. Just have to wait for one to be posted on the mission board and claim it." James said as he walked into the kitchen in their apartment. "Until then… let's get something to eat."

"Not hungry. You go on; I have some more reading to do." Elsa disappeared into what had been her bedroom until they started dating. James just shook his head and prepared enough food for the two of them. He'd make her eat- she was already thin enough.

* * *

Sylvia darted down the aisles of the market, her arms full of groceries, already aware that she was late. She knew that it was her turn to cook, but had completely forgotten to go shopping. She came around the corner and slammed into someone dressed in a dark cloak complete with hood.

The cloaked figure just tilted its head and looked at her.

"Nyamu."

* * *

"What do you mean that Sylvia isn't back yet? It was her time to cook!" Kiru said, collapsing on the couch.

"She probably got stuck behind someone with a lot of coupons or something, Kiru-kun. She'll be back." Nicole sat down on the loveseat across from Kiru and curled her feet up underneath her. "If it bothers you so much, you could cook." There was a sly grin on the woman's face and Kiru just rolled his eyes.

Eight o'clock came and went, and Nicole started to pace in front of the door.

Ten o'clock came and Kiru pulled his coat on, leaving the apartment with a stern order for Nicole to stay and call him if Sylvia returned.

When, she had corrected him.

Nicole paced by the phone for almost 15 minutes before pulling her phone out and sending a text.

_Elsa- Syl's missing. Kiru is hunting for her._

The response was quick.

_He doesn't have Soul Perception. I'll find her. Don't tell her parents!_

* * *

Elsa and James darted through the streets of Death City, a light resonance going on between them in order to push Elsa's _Soul Perception_ to the max. They ran through the length of Death City and as they came around a corner than almost collided with Spirit and Azusa.

James caught Elsa around the waist as she stumbled backwards against him to avoid bumping into Spirit.

"Mom, dad. What are you two doing out?" James asked.

Azusa adjusted her glasses, looking at the two of them. "We could ask you two the same thing. Unless you're on a school sanctioned mission, I want both of you to go back to your apartment and stay put until school in the morning."

Spirit was uncharacteristically silent.

"No offense, Azusa-sensei, but you're not my mother. I'll be doing what we were doing." Elsa moved to leave and Azusa's hand caught her wrist. Anger flared in Elsa's eyes.

"My child or not, this is an order as a death scythe. Go. Home. Now."

Elsa wrenched her wrist out of Azusa's hand, the two men watching in anticipation. Elsa gave a mocking bow.

"Of course Azusa Death Scythe-sama." Acid dripped from her tone, a grin tugging at the teen's lips. "I'll go home."

* * *

James followed along behind Elsa, completely aware that they weren't heading to their apartment. It was really no surprise to him when they showed up outside the Patchwork Lab; and even less of a surprise when she walked in unannounced, walking unerringly towards the research lab her father was working in despite the lack of light.

"Elsa, you know how I feel about your unannounced visits." Stein's voice was muffled and as they moved around the operating table James could see why, his stomach twisting.

There was a pig on the table and Stein was wearing a surgical mask, his gloved hands covered in blood.

"I wouldn't get to see this if I came announced and we both know it." Elsa said as she held a surgical mask against her mouth, leaning over the carcass to peer into the cavity her father was working on.

"I know there's more to this visit than seeing if I was working on anything or you wouldn't have brought James. So, tell me."

Elsa's hand reached out almost petulantly and Stein sighed. A moment later Elsa was pulling on gloves and had a scalpel firmly held in her hand, and she glanced over at James. "You can go sleep or something."

James just stared at her. "We have something we're supposed to be doing, Elsa."

"You heard her. We're _homebound_ for now." Stein quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything, his hands once again buried to the wrist in the cavity.

"Well?" he asked once James had left the lab.

"Sylvia's missing. We were out looking for her when we bumped into his parents. They sent us home, as a direct order from a death scythe."

"And you came here instead of obeying why?" Stein removed something and sat it to the side, Elsa furrowing her forehead as she looked at it. "A tumor."

"Ah. Well, technically… you and mother always said I was welcome to 'come home', so I decided now would be a good time."

"Taking that a little bit literally, aren't you?"

"Why were they on patrol?"

Stein looked up at his daughter. "I don't know what you're talking about, Elsa." His face was smooth and there was no trace of emotion on it, but Elsa glared at him.

"Stop playing around. You're worked up because mother isn't here. She's out because of whatever has Spirit and Azusa mobilized. It has something to do with why Sylvia is missing, doesn't it?" Elsa leaned in, looking at her father. "Something big has happened, hasn't it?"

Stein just smirked at his daughter. "At times like this it is quite easy to see that you are my daughter. Yes, something has. They believe a coterie of witches has infiltrated Death City. Sparks of magic were felt throughout the city earlier today, about the same time that Sylvia disappeared. That would be why they sent you home. They're expecting an attack."

"Then why aren't you with mother?" Elsa asked.

"Because your mother is a death scythe standing with Lord Death right now. Azusa and Spirit are adept at wielding each other; Marie is more powerful in his hands than mine."

"So you're going to sit here and do nothing?" Anger radiated from the teen.

"On the contrary, I am dissecting a pig that died of a mass of tumors that spread throughout various parts of its body. It's quite intriguing."

"Aren't you worried?!" Elsa shouted.

"Your mother is a strong woman. So is Sylvia. I see no reason to worry." Stein smirked as Elsa walked off in a huff. "I do, though." Stein called at the retreating teen's back and was rewarded with a laugh and a smile.

* * *

James lay in Elsa's old room, mostly asleep when she came in after her talk with her father. She shook his shoulder and he just sighed.

"We've got to go, James."

"Where?" Sleep laced his voice thickly.

"Out of the city. I know what happened to Sylvia."

"What do you mean?"

"It's easy, James. She was taken."

"Taken?"

"The witches abducted her!" Elsa's eyes shone in the moonlight; her face had a manic grin on it. "They took her, and they're harrying the death scythes now. It has to have something to do with her past! We have to go find her!"

James just stared at her, but climbed out of the bed. "Alright, Elsa. But how do you know where to go?"

"Because, James, we all share a room, remember?"

A grin spread across the man's face.

* * *

**A/N: I don't own Soul Eater. Welcome to the beginning of the end.**


	54. Permission

Sylvia just sighed. "The restraints aren't necessary."

"Hush, little one."

"I know who you are. Remember? You came to my home once and spoke with my mother. You gave her something in a bag."

The man turned to her. "I will gag you, little one."

Sylvia hung her head and sighed. The man took that as her assent and walked on, his hand tugging on the restraints that kept the young dragon bound and causing her to stumble slightly before she followed along behind him.

Sylvia knew that she could break them anytime she wanted, even if the man that was holding onto them didn't. She also knew that she wouldn't. She was back home; or rather, as close to home as she would come now.

She was in the witch's realm, a place she had lived for a brief period of time with her mother before they had moved to where she had lived when Spirit and Azusa had found her. Where they had lived before she was too old to realize that the people that worked the shops and lived beside them weren't normal in the slightest.

She recognized a few of the people, faces that hadn't changed at all in the last 15 years. A few stopped and stared at her and she heard her foster mother's name whispered more than once. She didn't have a name to put to any of the familiar faces, and nearly all of them turned away from her as soon as she met their gaze.

Eventually she gave up, letting herself be led with her head constantly hung downward. There was no conversation to be had from her captor as he led her through the streets; not that she had expected any. Mabaa herself had appeared to Sylvia. The dragon knew that trying to leave would just mean that she would be brought back and kept under tighter security than she was now.

So she followed the male witch that was leading her and entered into the large building she was led to.

"Ah, there is my hatchling."

Sylvia's head jerked up. "Larza-sama?"

The being inclined his head. "Release her."

The man looked at the cowled figure beside him. She inclined her head and the bonds were removed from Sylvia.

"Now then, hatchling, you may thank me for intervening and having your godmother rescue you from those short-lived savages."

* * *

"Elsa, you realize that this isn't going to work if she isn't asleep. Even then, there's a good chance that it won't work."

"We have to try, James."

The two were miles outside death city now, sitting in a small motel room. The sun still hadn't risen and Elsa was stifling a yawn as they talked.

"Besides, I'm exhausted, and an exhausted meister is a dead meister. Even if she isn't there, we need sleep."

James just nodded, settling back on the bed with Elsa curling up against him. A moment later they were both asleep, Elsa squirming until her face was pressing against his chest and his arms wrapped around her.

* * *

Elsa paced. They had been asleep for hours, and Sylvia still hadn't shown up.

"Don't you think that she'd be trying at least?" Elsa asked irritably.

"She's a prisoner somewhere, Elsa. They may not be letting her sleep."

The operating theater's lights flickered as Elsa clenched her hands into fists. Something surged through James for a moment and he just sighed.

It was the sixth time that Elsa had tried to pull Sylvia into the resonance using his ability. Neither of them knew where the girl was, and Elsa wasn't the one that needed to initiate the resonance with Sylvia. James knew better than to try to tell the irate teen- it would just upset her more.

James felt her soul wrap around his, demanding resonance again and he sighed once again. "Elsa, this doesn't count as rest if you kill the both of us trying to find her."

He felt her feeding the resonance and didn't fight it. He suppressed the yawn that pulled at his lips and fed his soul energy into it, using the room they were in to contain it briefly before dragging himself up through the layers of sleep and to consciousness. He couldn't stop the yawn that escaped him that time, and a glimpse at the clock told him that they'd only been "asleep" for two hours.

He started to complain again when he realized something. "Elsa?"

"What?"

"What if she's somewhere our _Soul Perception_ won't penetrate?"

"Like where?!"

"Her godmother and godfather were witches."

Elsa's eyes lit up for a moment and then she sighed. "We can't exactly sneak into the witch's domain."

"No, _we_ can't."

"What do you mean, James?"

"We tell Lord Death what we think. He has some witches that he keeps in contact with."

"Go back? Do you have any idea how much trouble we're going to be in, James? We were told to stay by a _death scythe_ who also happened to be your mother."

"Have you ever known my mother to stay mad at me?" James asked.

"So you're suggesting we go to my dad and your mother."

"Who else?"

* * *

"Absolutely not."

"But, dad-"

"I've said no."

"But-"

"When you've forged a death scythe and are a three star meister then you can." Stein's voice was firm, the glint on his glasses obscuring his eyes.

"How am I supposed to do that if you won't let us go after Sylvia?!" Elsa's voice rose into a scream, the teen's fist clenched at her sides.

"Her father is going after her. As is her mother."

"They aren't her parents!"

"They're both death scythes, and they adopted her."

Elsa took a deep breath, trying to force herself to calm down. "I'm going after Sylvia."

"No, you are not. Neither is James."

"We have a right to demand our fight with a witch." Elsa's face was smug now. "We are."

"There's a witch in Nebraska that you'll be assigned."

"We reject it."

"You have to have both partners for that. You're not going with Azusa and Spirit."

"Following them isn't the only way."

"You won't."

"I'm not going to leave Sylvia alone like that! She'd come after me! She'd come after James!"

There was something in her father's face that she hadn't seen before, and it disarmed Elsa for a moment. He stood, moving past her. She realized too late what he was doing, the door to the lab shutting behind him with a resounding clang followed by a sound that she had become intimately familiar with since she had first demonstrated her ability to get past the lock.

She was sealed in by her father's wavelength, a trick he had developed years ago. To get out would mean that she would have to destroy the door itself. Elsa's hand slammed into the door as she watched her father's back retreat from her.

* * *

"Mother, I need to go with you."

"James, that just isn't possible."

"She's my sister."

"You've never claimed that before. I know that she is your adopted sister, but you're not going to try to capitalize on that before when I know that the two of you, while close, have never actually considered each other to be siblings." Azusa pushed her glasses up, looking at James.

"She's still legally my sister. I can't just let her be taken and not go with you to recover her. Her meister feels the same way, I am certain."

"We've already spoken with Kiru. He knows that he cannot accompany us. That stands true for his interim weapon Nicole as well as yourself and Elsa."

James was silent.

"Do we have an understanding, James?"

The light glinted off his glasses as he bowed. "Yes, mother. I will not be accompanying you and father, nor will Elsa or Kiru and his interim weapon."

* * *

Sylvia stared in shock at her father. "Larza-sama… you "rescued" me?"

"Of course, hatchling. Those short lived imbeciles believed that they could keep you from me. That couldn't be further from the truth. Your godmother engineered your rescue, and if they come after you, these will protect you."

"But… they're going to come after me. Azusa-sama and Spirit-sama won't let me disappear without looking for me and Elsa-san and James-san will-"

"Do not worry, hatchling," Larza's face was smug, "no short lived savage, if they even manage to enter this realm, will take you from me again. This realm will be their death bed and then I will raise you to be a proper dragon."

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, yeah, short chapter. Hope you enjoyed the update. Sorry they're coming so short. Poll in profile. Blame World of Warcraft, and I don't own Soul Eater.**


End file.
